A disturbed state of mind referred to as delirium, often confused
with dementia, involves feelings of illusion, restlessness and
incoherence. Read on to know more about delirium, its causes, treatment
and how it differs from dementia.
What Is Delirium?
It
is a disturbance in the functioning of the mind. It leads to confused
thinking and a lack of awareness about one's surroundings. Delirium
starts quite quickly, within a matter of a few hours or days.
Medication, chronic illness, alcohol/drug intoxication, metabolic
imbalance, etc., are reasons that can cause delirium to occur. This
disturbance of the mind occurs when the sending and receiving of signals
in the brain do not function normally.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Delirium?
Symptoms
of delirium keep fluctuating throughout the day and there could be
certain times when there are no signs of it present at all. Symptoms
tend to worsen at night. Some of the common signs and symptoms of
delirium are mentioned below. Most Read :9 Abortion Methods You Can Try At Home
• Reduced awareness of the surrounding
The
person would find it difficult to just focus on one topic. Lack of
communication abilities (person seems to be stuck with an idea, without
being able to answer questions), appearing to be withdrawn with least
activity. The person gets easily distracted by things that lack
importance of any kind.
• Cognitive impairment
Memory
turns weak. Feeling disoriented. Difficulty while speaking or recalling
events. Speaking insignificant things. Trouble in understanding what
others say. Unable to read or write with ease.
• Changes in behaviour
Night/day
sleep and wake cycle appear reversed. Agitation and restlessness in
behaviour are observed. Having hallucinations and disturbed sleep.
Feeling of lethargy. Being quiet and withdrawn from society. Making
weird sounds. • Feeling emotionally disturbed
Feeling anxious, depressed, irritable and angry. There is a drastic
change in personality. Unpredictable mood shifts. At times, there is a
sense of feeling elated. Night/day sleep and wake cycle appear
reversed. Agitation and restlessness in behaviour are observed. Having
hallucinations and disturbed sleep. Feeling of lethargy. Being quiet and
withdrawn from society. Making weird sounds. • Feeling emotionally disturbed
Feeling anxious, depressed, irritable and angry. There is a drastic
change in personality. Unpredictable mood shifts. At times, there is a
sense of feeling elated. Night/day sleep and wake cycle appear
reversed. Agitation and restlessness in behaviour are observed. Having
hallucinations and disturbed sleep. Feeling of lethargy. Being quiet and
withdrawn from society. Making weird sounds.
How Is Delirium Different From Dementia?
At
times, it might get difficult to distinguish between dementia and
delirium. Sometimes, a person might have both. Episodes of delirium,
however, do not indicate that the person would also have dementia. Dementia
is considered to be a progressive form of memory decline where the
thinking ability deteriorates due to loss of brain cells. Alzheimer's
disease is the primary reason behind the occurrence of dementia. The following are the differences between the symptoms of delirium and dementia: •
With delirium, the ability to maintain focus is impaired to a great
extent. In the case of dementia, the person is generally alert, at least
during the initial days of this illness.
• Delirium begins to occur within a short duration, whereas dementia worsens over time.
• The symptoms of delirium fluctuate throughout the day, whereas for
people with dementia, their thinking skills and memory abilities stay
constant in terms of efficiency throughout the day.
How Do You Treat Delirium?
The
treatment begins by treating the underlying causes and addressing the
elimination of triggers. Healing the body and keeping the mind calm is
the focus of the treatment. Supportive care is provided by treating
various conditions that the person with delirium might be facing. Complications are prevented by doing the following. • Providing ample nutrition and keeping the person hydrated through lots of fluids
• Protecting the airway
• Incontinence is taken care of
• Pain is treated
• Assistance is provided with movement
• Family members are encouraged to stay with the person more often
• Use of physical restraints are strictly avoided
• Avoiding any kind of changes in the surrounding environment Medicines
and drugs that trigger delirium should be avoided. Family members are
the best people to observe and make a judgment about the possible
triggers around. Medicines can also help if the person is severely
agitated or confused. Hallucinations and paranoia might also need to be
treated through appropriate drugs. Most Read : Here Is How To Treat Vaginal Blisters Naturally
Is Delirium An Emergency?
The
person suffering from delirium might turn hyperactive or hypoactive,
situations that might indicate a sign of an emergency. In such cases,
approaching a doctor immediately would be the best solution. Family
members should closely observe the one who has delirium as there could
be severe mood swings throughout the day. If the symptoms of delirium
are seen to be worsening at any point in time, you should be contacting
your healthcare provider immediately.
