Confusion syndrome: What you need to know

Confusion syndrome is a common illness in the elderly and many people think that this condition only occurs in the elderly. However, this is a completely inaccurate view because this syndrome can appear at any age and due to many different causes.

Confusion syndrome with a hospital admission rate of 10-15%, this is a syndrome where the sufferer cannot think as quickly and clearly as the average person. Confusion syndrome is common in psychiatry and some other specialties. People with confusion often have difficulty distinguishing directions, making decisions, paying attention, and remembering.
Confusion syndrome can appear at any age and especially often occurs in the elderly, this is a disease that can completely limit the effects and symptoms if detected and treated in time. .

Symptoms of confusion are easy to recognize, if you pay attention, you can know the status of a person with confusion. Here are some typical symptoms of this syndrome:

When dealing with people with mental confusion, they are usually quite quiet, their eyes are always looking far away, sometimes they are very surprised, but sometimes they are bewildered, dull, indifferent to everything. . People with confusion often have difficulty communicating with others, they respond slowly and are quite indifferent to questions. In many cases, the patient does not know how to answer or does not answer correctly what is asked. Patients with confusion syndrome often behave differently from those around them, they may laugh and cry, struggle to resist or may also be silent, having to walk with someone to guide them, especially when going up the stairs. The emotions of confused patients are very unstable, they always feel confused and do not know who they are. Perceptual disturbances: Patients often experience hallucinations and are immersed in them. Depending on the type of hallucination, the patient has different outward manifestations. Consciousness disorder: Not recognizing loved ones, the concept of light and dark is reversed. The time when the patient is awake is usually very short and rare. In addition to mental disorders, confused patients often have neurological and physical disorders such as fever, dry skin, tachycardia, fluctuating blood pressure, trembling limbs, sleep disturbances ..
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There are many different causes for patients to have confusional syndrome, here are a few common causes of this disease:
Trauma, concussion: If the patient experiences a concussion or trauma of some kind In the head region, confusional syndrome is most likely to occur. It can happen immediately or a few days after the injury, leaving the person unconscious and unaware of what is happening. Dehydration: This is also a cause of confusion syndrome. Water plays an important role in the human body, the amount of water in the body is excreted every day through sweat, urine and other functions of the body, if we do not provide the necessary amount of water. will affect electrolyte levels and cause many problems for the body, including confusion. Using some medications not prescribed by your doctor can also cause confusion, which will go away when you stop taking the medicine. In addition, cancer patients with chemotherapy also have certain effects on the nervous system, brain function, causing confusion syndrome.

In addition to the above causes, high fever, infection, alcohol poisoning, a lack of some substances such as niacin, thiamin, vitamin B12, epilepsy, depression... are also the causes of amnesia syndrome. mixed.
For the elderly, this is a group of people with a high probability of getting confused syndrome due to old age, the functions in the body degenerate, the elderly are no longer as lucid as before.

Confusion syndrome causes many impacts on the lives of patients as well as family members. Treatment depends on the cause, and if the confusion is detected early, there is a good chance that the symptoms will be relieved and there are not many serious sequelae.
The diagnosis plays an important role in assessing the condition as well as finding the cause of the confusion syndrome. In addition to the clinical examination of the patient, the doctor will also suggest that the patient perform a number of tests as follows:
Blood tests EEG EEG scan CT scan MRI Check mental status

Depending on the cause of the confusion, the doctor will recommend the appropriate treatment for the patient. For example, patients with confusion due to infection will be treated for infection, patients with confusion caused by using stimulants such as drugs and alcohol will be detoxified to improve their condition. For patients with confusion due to nutritional imbalance, it is necessary to supplement with adequate nutrition. If dehydrated, it is necessary to add water or use oresol to relieve symptoms...
Particularly for the elderly with dementia mixed, we need to be very patient with them. If the patient does not remember the most basic things such as name, hometown, relatives, the people next to him should repeat it often and take care of the patient to limit confusion, anxiety, stabilize mental health. sick god.
Is a common syndrome in the elderly, but confusion syndrome can also occur in young people due to many different causes. In addition to care and treatment, if the patient is confused and shows unusual signs, family members should take the patient to medical centers for examination and treatment.
Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for examination, treatment and prevention of diseases, including Neurology. When performing the examination process at Vinmec, customers will be welcomed and used modern facilities and equipment along with perfect medical services under the guidance and advice of experts. Good doctors, well-trained both at home and abroad.