Confusion may be related to the loss of awareness of where we are, but it may also be related to a disturbance in the sense of one's own identity. Disorientation can be caused by psychiatric problems, but also by a wide variety of organic diseases. The occurrence of confusion should be a reason for visiting a doctor - sometimes it is the first symptom of serious diseases, including neoplasms of the central nervous system or dementia disorders.

What is confusion?

Confusionis, as the name suggests, an orientation disorder. In turn, the orientation itself (or awareness) can be divided intoautopsychic orientationandallopsychic orientation . Autopsychic orientation is directly related to the patient himself and consists in the fact that a given person knows, for example, who he is, what his name is and how old he is.

The allopsychic orientation is a bit broader because it is related to the entire environment of the patient. An allopsychically oriented person knows where he or she is at the moment, knows the right date and is able to correctly determine the season of the year. Another division, on the other hand, distinguishes disorders of orientation as to time, place and one's own identity - usually in the course of various pathologies, disorders in the perception of time appear first.

Disorders that may accompany confusion

Confusion is seldom the only problem experienced by the patient. Usually it is accompanied by other ailments, such as :

  • psychomotor agitation,
  • psychotic disorders (such as hallucinations or delusions),
  • confusion,
  • concentration and attention disorders.

Assessment of orientation is one of the basic elements of a routine psychiatric examination. Its assessment includes, among others Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which is used as a screening test for cognitive impairment. Confusion is definitely not a phenomenon that only psychiatrists deal with - it can lead to so many conditions that literally any doctor can meet a confused patient.

Reasons for confusion

Disturbances in consciousness informs of delirium and various types of dementia disorders (e.g. Alzheimer's disease). Other possible causes of confusion include:

  • poisoning (e.g. with drugs, alcohol, drugs or carbon monoxide);
  • infections (such as encephalitis or meningitis);
  • shock (especially septic shock);
  • electrolyte disturbances;
  • dehydration;
  • neurological diseases (e.g. tumors of the central nervous system, stroke or epileptic seizures);
  • endocrine disorders (e.g. hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism);
  • fever;
  • hypoxia;
  • hypothermia;
  • cirrhosis or liver failure;
  • Reye's team;
  • abnormal blood glucose level (confusion is possible with both hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia);
  • orthostatic hypotension (drop in blood pressure after standing);
  • kidney failure;
  • amnesia;
  • psychiatric conditions (such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders or delusional disorders).

Very short-lasting states of confusion may periodically occur in every human being, even among he althy people. Disorientation can be experienced temporarily, e.g. after waking up from an exceptionally deep sleep.

Worth knowing

Confusion - treatment

Confusion is certainly a significant problem for the patient, but it is a symptom, not a disease - so the condition that has led to orientation disorders is treated. Some of the above-mentioned conditions (such as electrolyte disturbances or abnormal amounts of glucose in the blood) lead to temporary disorientation, which disappears after the patient's existing disorders are corrected. In other cases of disorientation, for example related to dementia, the prognosis of patients may be much worse - in such situations, confusion (especially in the absence of treatment) may worsen over time.

For the reasons mentioned above, any form of confusion (as to time, place or person) should prompt you to see a doctor. Disorientation may, after all, indicate the existence of a life-threatening disease in a patient.

Category:

Psychiatry