What are the possible causes of hallucinations?

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What are the possible causes of hallucinations?

There are many possible causes of hallucinations, including: Temporary causes. Certain mental health conditions. Certain neurological conditions. Side effects of certain medications. Temporary causes of hallucinations The following conditions or situations may temporarily cause hallucinations: Falling asleep or waking up. Being under the influence of alcohol or certain drugs, such as marijuana, hallucinogens (LSD and PCP) cocaine, amphetamines, heroin or ketamine. High fever, especially in children and older people. Severe dehydration. Sleep deprivation. Migraine. Trauma. Severe pain. Grieving. Infections like UTIs, especially in older people. Recovering from anesthesia after a surgery or procedure. Experiencing hallucinations in these ways is usually not a cause for concern. However, if you have an acute medical issue that’s causing them, like an infection or a fever, it’s important to seek medical treatment for the issue. Mental health conditions that may cause hallucinations Schizophrenia is the main mental health condition that causes hallucinations. Schizophrenia refers to both a single condition and a spectrum of conditions that fall under the category of psychosis-related disorders. These are conditions where a person experiences some form of “disconnection” from reality (psychosis), which can include hallucinations. Conditions that fall under the schizophrenia spectrum and may cause hallucinations include: Schizophrenia. Schizotypal personality disorder (which also falls under the category of personality disorders). Delusional disorder. Brief psychotic disorder. Schizophreniform disorder. Schizoaffective disorder. Hearing voices is the most common type of hallucination in people with these mental health conditions. Other mental health conditions that may cause hallucinations include: Bipolar disorder: People with bipolar disorder can experience hallucinations during both severe depressive or severe manic episodes. Major depression with psychotic features (psychotic depression): Major depressive disorder (MDD) with psychotic features is a distinct type of depressive illness in which mood disturbance is accompanied by either delusions, hallucinations or both. Neurological conditions that may cause hallucinations Neurological conditions that may cause hallucinations include: Parkinson’s disease: This condition causes a part of your brain to deteriorate, causing more severe symptoms over time. About 20% to 40% of people with Parkinson’s disease experience hallucinations or delusions. This can also be due to side effects of medications or dementia. Alzheimer’s disease: About 13% of people with Alzheimer’s disease experience hallucinations. Hallucinations are caused by changes within your brain that result from the condition. Lewy body dementia: This condition involves the buildup of clumps of proteins — called Lewy bodies — in your brain’s nerve cells. Lewy bodies damage nerve cells. It can cause hallucinations, and they’re usually visual. They might be one of the first signs of Lewy body dementia. Epilepsy: People who have epilepsy that involves a part of their brain called the temporal lobe can experience hallucinations — most commonly olfactory hallucinations. Narcolepsy: This is a neurological disorder that affects your brain’s ability to control sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy often experience hallucinations just before falling asleep (hypnagogic hallucinations) or just after waking up (hypnopompic hallucinations). Other conditions that can cause hallucinations Charles Bonnet syndrome causes a person whose vision has started to deteriorate to see hallucinations. This condition only causes visual hallucinations. Terminal illnesses, including liver failure, kidney failure, stage 3 HIV/AIDS and brain cancer can all cause hallucinations. Medications that can cause hallucinations Many prescription medications can occasionally cause or worsen hallucinations as a side effect. Elderly people may be at greater risk due to increased sensitivity to medications. Hallucinations caused by medications may be dose-related and usually stop when you discontinue the medication. Your healthcare provider is the best source of information about medication side effects. Never stop taking a medication without speaking to your healthcare provider first.

Psychiatry Hallucination

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Symptoms of panic disorder Causes of panic attacks A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying. Many people have just one or two panic attacks in their lifetimes, and the problem goes away, perhaps when a stressful situation ends. But if you've had recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and spent long periods in constant fear of another attack, you may have a condition called panic disorder. Although panic attacks themselves aren't life-threatening, they can be frightening and significantly affect your quality of life. But treatment can be very effective.Complications of panic disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily activities. This ongoing worry and tension may be accompanied by physical symptoms, such as restlessness, feeling on edge or easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension or problems sleeping. Often the worries focus on everyday things such as job responsibilities, family health or minor matters such as chores, car repairs, or appointments.The core symptom of panic disorder is recurrent panic attacks, an overwhelming combination of physical and psychological distress. During an attack, several of these symptoms occur in combination: Panic Disorder Symptoms During an attack, several of these symptoms occur in combination Palpitations, pounding heart or rapid heart rateNumbness or tinglingSweatingChills or hot flashesTrembling or shakingNausea or abdominal painsFeeling of shortness of breath or smothering sensationsFeeling detachedChest painFear of losing controlFeeling dizzy, light-headed or faintFear of dyingFeeling of choking Because the symptoms can be quite severe, some people who experience a panic attack may believe they are having a heart attack or some other life-threatening illness. They may go to a hospital emergency department. Panic attacks may be expected, such as a response to a feared object, or unexpected, apparently occurring for no reason. The mean age for onset of panic disorder is 20-24. Panic attacks may occur with other mental disorders such as depression or PTSD.Agoraphobia Agoraphobia is the fear of being in situations where escape may be difficult or embarrassing, or help might not be available in the event of panic symptoms. The fear is out of proportion to the actual situation and lasts generally six months or more and causes problems in functioning. A person with agoraphobia experiences this fear in two or more of the following situations: Using public transportation Being in open spaces Being in enclosed places Standing in line or being in a crowd Being outside the home alone The individual actively avoids the situation, requires a companion or endures with intense fear or anxiety. Untreated agoraphobia can become so serious that a person may be unable to leave the house. A person can only be diagnosed with agoraphobia if the fear is intensely upsetting, or if it significantly interferes with normal daily activities.Separation Anxiety Disorder A person with separation anxiety disorder is excessively fearful or anxious about separation from those with whom he or she is attached. The feeling is beyond what is appropriate for the person's age, persists (at least four weeks in children and six months in adults) and causes problems functioning. A person with separation anxiety disorder may be persistently worried about losing the person closest to him or her, may be reluctant or refuse to go out or sleep away from home or without that person, or may experience nightmares about separation. Physical symptoms of distress often develop in childhood, but symptoms can carry though adulthood.Selective Mutism Children with selective mutism do not speak in some social situations where they are expected to speak, such as school, even though they speak in other situations. They will speak in their home around immediate family members, but often will not speak even in front of others, such as close friends or grandparents. The lack of speech may interfere with social communication, although children with this disorder sometimes use non-spoken or nonverbal means (e.g., grunting, pointing, writing). The lack of speech can also have significant consequences in school, leading to academic problems and social isolation. Many children with selective mutism also experience excessive shyness, fear of social embarrassment and high social anxiety. However, they typically have normal language skills. Selective mutism usually begins before age 5, but it may not be formally identified until the child enters school. Many children will outgrow selective mutism. For children who also have social anxiety disorder, selective mutism may disappear, but symptoms of social anxiety disorder may remain.‌

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