Good for the elderly
Hallucinations experienced by people with dementia can involve any of the senses, but are most often either visual (seeing something that isn’t really there) or auditory ( hearing noises or voices that do not actually exist).
Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. A similar condition called Lewy body dementia can cause it, too. (But it’s more common to see things — visual hallucinations — than hear them with this type of dementia.) For some people , the voices seem so real, they talk back to them.
Common Causes of Hallucination in the Elderly Sleep deprivation. Dehydration. Epilepsy. Vision or hearing loss. Drug or alcohol abuse. Brain cancer. Liver or kidney failure. Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.
Hallucinations are caused by changes in the brain which, if they occur at all, usually happen in the middle or later stages of the dementia journey. Hallucinations are more common in dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s dementia but they can also occur in Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia .
Sometimes called “ late stage dementia ,” end – stage dementia is the stage in which dementia symptoms become severe to the point where a patient requires help with everyday activities. The person may also have symptoms that indicate that they are near the end of life.
Symptoms of vascular dementia are similar to Alzheimer’s disease, although memory loss may not be as obvious in the early stages. Symptoms can sometimes develop suddenly and quickly get worse , but they can also develop gradually over many months or years.
High fevers and some infections, such as encephalitis and meningitis, cause auditory hallucinations . Intense stress. It’s especially common to hear the voice of a loved one after their recent death. Other stressful situations can also trigger episodes.
Most commonly though, people diagnosed with schizophrenia will hear multiple voices that are male, nasty, repetitive, commanding, and interactive, where the person can ask the voice a question and get some kind of answer.”
Some people do get rid of their voices . But many people find that they never go completely. Finding an approach that works best for you can help you come to terms with your voices and develop a better relationship with them.
Dehydration occurs when the body does not have enough water and this can happen rapidly in extreme heat or through exercise. Symptoms of dehydration can include headaches, lethargy and hallucinations . In extreme cases, dehydration may result in death.
Charles Bonnet syndrome causes a person whose vision has started to deteriorate to see things that aren’t real (hallucinations). The hallucinations may be simple patterns, or detailed images of events, people or places.
The mind often plays tricks on people with dementia as brain cells degenerate. Their brains often distort their senses to make them think they are seeing , hearing, feeling, smelling or experiencing something that isn’t really there . Such internal “miswiring” can manifest in different ways.
In the earlier stages, memory loss and confusion may be mild. The person with dementia may be aware of — and frustrated by — the changes taking place, such as difficulty recalling recent events, making decisions or processing what was said by others.
Resiberg’s system: Stage 1: No Impairment. During this stage, Alzheimer’s is not detectable and no memory problems or other symptoms of dementia are evident. Stage 2: Very Mild Decline . Stage 3: Mild Decline . Stage 4: Moderate Decline . Stage 5 : Moderately Severe Decline . Stage 6: Severe Decline . Stages 7: Very Severe Decline .
And average survival times varied from a high of 10.7 years for the youngest patients ( 65-69 years ) to a low of 3.8 years for the oldest (90 or older at diagnosis).