confusion

confusion is a disorder of consciousness, in which it comes to perception disturbances, loss of performance and concentration disorders. Confusion can be a slowly growing process or it can be sudden and acute. Often the elderly are confused.

What is confusion?

Confusion can be a slowly growing process or it can be sudden and acute. Often the elderly are confused.

Confusion manifests itself through a disorientation, which is associated with inner restlessness and limited memory. This can lead to perception and concentration disorders, as well as a decrease in performance.

Most of the time, those affected suffer from a limited ability to react. In some cases, people are very sleepy or become aggressive. Increased confusion often occurs at night. Long-term memory is usually not affected by confusion.

Symptoms can progressively increase in a slow process, or they can appear suddenly. In the event of an acute and abrupt appearance of confusion, the cause should be clarified medically and appropriate treatment should be given.

causes

Confusion can have many causes. There can be harmless causes such as insufficient fluid balance in the body. Various medications can also cause confusion as a side effect.

Poisoning, for example after consuming too much alcohol, can also lead to states of confusion. However, a number of serious diseases can also be triggers. Atherosclerosis, brain injury, and heart failure can cause confusion, as can diabetes, encephalitis, or meningitis. Epilepsy, strokes or brain tumors can also lead to states of confusion.

In older people in particular, dementia, such as Alzheimer's, is often responsible for confusion. Sometimes confusion can also occur due to febrile infectious diseases or urinary poisoning.

In addition to these physical causes, social causes, such as losing a caregiver or lack of social contact, sometimes trigger confusion.

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➔ Medicines against memory disorders and forgetfulness

Diseases with this symptom

• arteriosclerosis
• concussion
• Brain tumor
• dementia

• Heart failure
• Diabetes mellitus
• stroke
• Alzheimer

• Encephalitis
• Meningitis
• epilepsy
• Infectious diseases

Diagnosis & course

If you are confused, it is important to clarify how long the confusion has existed, what underlying illnesses are present, what medication you are taking, and whether your hydration is sufficient, before any examinations are carried out to establish a diagnosis.

In addition, the psychological stress of the person concerned is clarified. After the basic investigation, blood tests, blood sugar and blood pressure measurements are part of the basic program of the examinations. Any neurological deficits are also checked by reflex and eye examinations, as well as testing the sense of balance.

Depending on the suspected cause, the necessary examinations for the respective underlying disease are carried out. If no organic causes can be determined, a psychiatric examination should be carried out. The course of the disease always depends on the causes.

If the confusion arises, for example due to medication or insufficient fluid intake, it is relatively easy to treat. In the case of more serious underlying diseases, the course of confusion may not be able to be stopped, but rather slowed down.

Complications

When confused, it is difficult to predict the complications that may arise. These always depend on the mental and physical condition of the person concerned and on the strength of the confusion. This occurs very often in older people and can lead to the person finding himself in a place or with people he does not know.

Such behavior often leads to panic attacks and outbursts of anger. In the worst case, the person can injure himself or herself if the confusion is very advanced. In addition, there are often headaches and forgetfulness, those affected can often no longer differentiate between strangers and known people.

The confusion is treated either by a psychologist or with medication, whereby the confusion is also often part of the aging process and occurs in almost everyone. There are no complications with the treatment, as it is mostly a purely psychological treatment.

Assisted living is often organized for those affected, as they can no longer cope with their own lives and represent a danger for themselves and for other people. In most cases, the confusion cannot be completely removed from the person's life.

When should you go to the doctor?

Confusion can be as harmless as it can be dangerous. In order to recognize whether a person's confusion needs medical examination, it is important how long it has existed and what symptoms it is accompanied by.If the person concerned was completely clear until a short time ago and now seems confused, there could be many reasons behind this, from a stroke to cerebral hemorrhage to low blood pressure with impending fainting.

Sudden confusion is always an alarm signal, the person concerned should be reassured as much as possible and either driven to the doctor or taken there by ambulance. If drugs or medication were involved, there is a risk that the patient will develop further symptoms in addition to the confusion or possibly become aggressive, which is why this is also a case for the doctor. Temporary or persistent confusion may be normal in old age or with nervous system disorders. Nevertheless, if the diagnosis is known, a medical examination should be carried out if something changes in a person's usual confusion.

There could be a change in the underlying disease that manifests itself as increasing or sometimes even decreasing confusion. Confusion is normal and of secondary importance if the patient has just experienced significant physical injury or shock, or has been exposed to great psychological stress. In such situations he should be given a full medical examination anyway.

Doctors & therapists in your area

Treatment & Therapy

As diverse as the causes of confusion can be, as diverse are the treatment options. In the event of confusion due to medication, the medication concerned must be discontinued and replaced with another.

If dehydration is the cause of confusion, adequate fluid intake must be ensured. If the dehydration is very advanced, infusion therapy in the hospital is sometimes necessary.

In the case of psychological triggers, caring care for the person affected is important, and care should be taken to eliminate all stress factors for the sick person as far as possible. If the confusion is a concomitant symptom of an underlying physical illness, the therapy is based on the existing illness.

Outlook & forecast

Confusion can lead to different complications and affect the patient's life differently. If the confusion occurs only temporarily, it is a harmless symptom that does not need to be considered. The confusion can arise especially when consuming alcohol and other drugs or during a severe flu. This usually disappears on its own.

In most cases, the confusion occurs in the elderly over the course of an illness. It cannot be treated in a targeted manner, so that after a while the patient may have to rely on the help of other people and need permanent care. It occurs mainly in patients with dementia or Parkinson's disease.

In some cases, confusion arises after an accident or after epileptic seizures. This can also only be combated to a limited extent with medication. However, it cannot be ruled out that the confusion will stay with the patient throughout their life. It usually reduces the quality of life and in some cases can lead to accidents or negligent behavior.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medicines against memory disorders and forgetfulness

prevention

Confusion can sometimes be prevented with targeted prevention. A lack of fluids is often responsible for confusion, especially in older people. This can be counteracted through adequate fluid intake.

A balanced diet rich in vitamins should also be ensured. In older people, psychological and social causes are often the trigger for acute confusion. To a certain extent, this can be counteracted by specifically involving older patients in social contacts and activities.

Careful psychological care for those affected, social contacts and joint activities are good precautionary measures if the loss of caregivers is the cause of the confusion.

You can do that yourself

In order to deal well with confusion in everyday life, the causal treatment is the main focus (if possible). Since dehydration can lead to confusion, especially in older people, ensure that you drink enough. Water and tea are particularly suitable for this. An adequate and healthy diet can also help to reduce further complications (for example due to malnutrition) and to improve the general quality of life.

In the case of severe confusion that occurs regularly or lasts for a long time or permanently, the support of another person in everyday life can be useful. It depends on the individual case whether a trained nurse is necessary and whether the person supporting has to be present at all times. Some people affected tend to leave the house on their own in their confusion and get lost in the process, so that they cannot find their way back on their own. In this case, it can be useful to have a slip of paper with your own address and a telephone number. Such a note should be kept in such a way that it is easily accessible.

In most cases, it is helpful if those affected have a trustworthy contact person at their side - regardless of how much help is actually necessary and desired. This person may be able to monitor how the confusion develops over the long term and whether appropriate measures are necessary.