A hallucination does not
require an external stimulus for a person to see, smell or hear things that are
not present. This is an abnormal
perception and many elderly people end up suffering from hallucinations.
However, hallucinations can be controlled through medications in majority of
the cases.
Some elderly also complain of
having bugs crawling under their skin or on their faces. These are all
hallucinations. So, why do the elderly suffer from hallucinations? There are
several reasons for this. Hallucinations can occur due to fatigue, emotional
exhaustion, insomnia, depression, cancer of the brain, head trauma, high grade
fever, liver failure, lesions in the brain, or demise of a close friend or a
loved one.
The most common reason for
hallucinations among seniors is a health condition known as Charles Bonnet
Syndrome. This syndrome is prevalent among seniors who have lost their vision.
Another cause for
hallucinations in the elderly, both visual and auditory, occur in seniors who
are suffering from sundowning syndrome. The symptoms of this syndrome occur
late in the afternoons, evenings and nights and are seen in seniors who have
dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and psychosis.
The most common causes of hallucinations in the elderly are dementia. Alzheimer's disease, side
effects of medications, and psychosis.
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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