Symptoms

Dementia information

Dementia with Lewy bodies can cause common dementia symptoms, including problems with memory and thinking skills.

In this section:

Below you can hear about what it’s like to live with dementia with Lewy bodies from Des, and his wife Valli.

What are the symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies?

Symptoms of DLB can include:

Changes in alertness and attention, and periods of confusion. These periods can be hard to predict and change on an hourly or daily basis.
Movement problems such as slower movements, stiffness in the arms and legs, and shaking or trembling.
Problems with walking and balance, including unsteadiness when moving around. This could make people more prone to falling.
Visual hallucinations - seeing things that are not really there, such as people or animals. These hallucinations can happen repeatedly and feel very real for the person seeing them.
Changes to thinking and memory, difficulty making plans, and a loss in ability to find one's way around.
Delusions - having fixed, false beliefs without evidence. People with DLB may believe that others are out to harm them or that their home is not their own.
Depression, anxiety, and a lack of motivation to do things are commonly seen in DLB but can often be helped with treatment. Agitation and restlessness can be helped with reassurance and treatment.
Sleep problems - vivid dreams and shouting out or moving while asleep. This can disrupt sleep and may cause injury.
Poor sleep quality and excessive sleeping during the day are more common in DLB than other types of dementia.
Changes to sense of smell or taste.
Bowel and bladder changes - constipation, sudden or more frequent urges to urinate, and incontinence. However, there are a wide range of potential treatments for these symptoms.

No two people experience dementia the same. If you are worried about any of the symptoms mentioned on this page, talk to your doctor.

Dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease are progressive diseases. This means that symptoms will get worse over time. As the diseases progress, people will need more help with everyday activities like eating, moving, dressing, and using the toilet.

For more information about Parkinson’s disease you can get in touch with Parkinson’s UK at parkinsons.org.uk or 0808 800 0303

I know people who had Alzheimer’s, so I know what that looks like. My mum’s dementia was very different. My mum always remembered me, my husband, and her grandchildren. My mum lost all sense of day and night. She once called me late at night asking for a lift – even though it was dark she thought it was morning. She also lost her understanding of things. For example, I asked my mum to unlock her door, but she just couldn’t work out what to do. It wasn’t that she had lost the key, it was that she couldn’t understand what ‘unlocking’ was.