Confused is a state of consciousness in which the ability to think at a normal speed is lost, the clarity and sequence of thoughts are disturbed. Under this name, a whole group of injuries in the complex work of the brain is summarized. Let us consider in more detail the concept of "confused consciousness".
Symptoms of disease
The first signs of confusion are problems with attention and orientation. Then disorders of memory and logical thinking may begin to appear. The violation does not necessarily affect all the higher functions of the psyche at once, only one of them, for example, speech recognition, can be damaged. Problems with memory or spatial orientation may be noted. In such cases, the diseases are respectively called aphasia, dementia and agnosia.
Fast and slow onset of the syndrome
The appearance of confusional syndrome can be both fast and slow, depending on the causes that cause it. Often it is temporary, but it can also be permanent, usuallyassociated with dementia and delirium.
Confused individuals are usually very silent, move little, and appear depressed. It happens that the disease is accompanied by illusions and hallucinations. If the former arise due to an incorrect interpretation of stimuli, then the latter appear without them at all.
It should be understood that everyone's confused consciousness manifests itself individually, depending on the degree of intoxication or the severity of another cause. Slowness and inconsistency of thinking are clearly visible in the conversation, and these are the first symptoms accompanying the diagnosis of "confused mind". So you don't have to be a pro to see if there is a problem.
Disorientation, its varieties
Disorientation can be both allopsychic, in which a person is not able to name the date and place where he is now, and autopsychic, in which his own identification is also difficult. Finding out the presence of disorientation is also easy by asking a couple of questions. According to the answers, the result is obvious - consciousness is clear; confused - it means it's time to get professional help. You should consult a psychiatrist or narcologist.
When providing assistance, sufficient attention must be paid to the meaning of the word "confused". A person in such a situation really experiences difficulties with the implementation of decisions, including those regarding consent to hospitalization, therefore, in such cases, it often becomes necessary to conduct it based on the indications of the state.
Dependence on Root Cause
Primary causes often cause symptoms to show up. With VSD, there is a clear vegetative and moderate pain, with a heart attack, the pain syndrome is very pronounced and sometimes can cause a state of shock. Metabolic causes are usually accompanied by various characteristic manifestations, such as odors.
In the elderly
Confusion in the elderly is chronic, so they can partially adapt to it. If such a state is long in time, then most likely it will lead to a negative outcome. Speech in such cases is usually slow, inconsistencies can be observed in it, delusional ideas sometimes peep through, illusory images may appear that turn into hallucinogenic ones. The mood of such persons also often changes and is difficult to predict, so you should treat them with caution. Changes in sleep are also observed, and they can be diametrically opposed: from complete insomnia to excessive sleepiness.
Diagnosis
To make a diagnosis, both a classic survey and special neurological and psychiatric ones, such as the Glasgow Coma Scale, are used. And in case of organic diseases, it is necessary to conduct a blood test, urine test, make an ECG and MRI. This will help to identify the root cause and start the right treatment.
Confused mind: causes of occurrence
This violation can manifest itself due to a number of completelyvarious reasons. That is why it cannot be a signal of a certain pathology, but it is necessary to be aware of its danger and try to find the cause. One thing is clear: such a disease indicates the existence of a neurological problem in the patient.
Let's consider the possible causes of confusion:
1. Traumatic. The disease can be the result of traumatic brain injuries, especially if they are of a penetrating nature. Although sometimes a brain injury can cause such problems due to the high sensitivity of brain tissue. Often the cause is aneurysms, characterized by a large number of dangerous manifestations.
2. Toxic. The cause of the disease can be poisoning with mercury, alcoholic beverages or drugs. In wartime, various neurotropic gases and organophosphorus substances were used as weapons that act in this way. Neurotoxins can be found in foods such as carambola, puffer fish. The appearance of similar consequences of mushroom poisoning is also common.
3. Consequences of diseases. Diseases accompanied by severe intoxication of the body and hyperthermia (flu, tonsillitis, acute respiratory infections and others) sometimes lead to confusion. This is especially true for children and adolescents. The risk of such conditions occurs when injuries, fractures and large blood loss occur. Tuberculosis and syphilis are other possible causes. The cause can also be encephalitis, acute diabetes mellitus, severe hepatitis of various types, the final stagesAIDS.
4. Neoplastic manifestations, and not necessarily arising in the brain tissues. This is due to the fact that tumors are always accompanied by severe intoxication, so confusion in oncology in the later stages becomes inevitable. The danger is not only classic tumors, but also leukemia. It appears in 15-30% of patients, and reaches 85% by the last weeks of life. It brings additional tension to the condition of the patient and his family and affects the symptoms and methods of cancer therapy, including correcting the impact on pain.
5. Circulatory pathologies. Both serious disorders, such as a stroke, and ischemia, which are considered transient, that is, proceed without consequences and are only a signal of the presence of problems, often provoke confusion. The severity of the disease and the manifestation of symptoms will be different depending on the severity of the pathology that serves as a trigger. In myocardial infarction, confusion occurs due to problems with blood circulation and the severity of pain sensitivity.
6. Vegetovascular dystonia due to partial disturbances in the areas of blood vessels and the autonomic nervous system is also accompanied by mild confusion.
7. Outcome of degenerative diseases. The manifestation can occur to a severe degree at the peak of senile dementia, insanity of various origins, Alzheimer's disease. In this case, it is caused by problems with brain activity and problems with orientation.
The starting points of such processes can be a variety of situationsvarying degrees of severity. For emotionally weak people, a strong emotional shock is enough. Even a lack of vitamins, hypothermia, prolonged lack of sleep and oxygen can lead to similar consequences.
Treatment of confusion
For the treatment of confusion, it is initially necessary to establish the cause of its occurrence and already eliminate it. Since some drugs are often the cause, it is necessary to stop taking all drugs until all metabolic disorders are corrected. The etiology of confusion is often fairly easy to determine due to specific symptoms, but sometimes a full body examination can help with this.
Alcohol as the cause
Sometimes you can determine the cause and correct trigger factors yourself. This applies to alcohol intoxication, lowering blood sugar levels. When the sugar level drops, sweet tea or candy will help. If you lose a large amount of fluid, you should resort to rehydration therapy using the products available at the pharmacy. Absorbents and a large amount of liquid will help from alcohol intoxication.
Injury
If the cause was an injury, it is important to identify and eliminate it in time. Sometimes this requires the use of neurosurgery. After an ischemic stroke, thrombolytics are used, with a hemorrhagic stroke, surgical disposal of a hematoma is practiced. Exposure to toxic substancesin particular heavy metals, and radiation exposure also require appropriate targeted treatment. Diseases accompanied by intoxication of the body and fever are treated with the use of antiviral and antipyretic agents. With VVD, the daily routine and diet are adjusted, soothing medicines and teas are also used: chamomile, mint, lemon balm.
There are certain medicines that can help get rid of the disease, but the most effective is to maintain a therapeutic regimen. If the patient is in an excited state, beds with fences on the sides or a special chair are used. Sometimes doctors are forced to resort to fixing the patient, but this is desirable to avoid, giving him the opportunity of unlimited movement in a limited space.
Time disorientation
If the disease is associated with time disorientation, it is important to ensure that the room has things to help you navigate: large calendars and clocks. This will reduce anxiety levels and help patients feel more confident. For insomnia, you should provide the patient with a radio or leave him a book and a lamp on, which will help take time. In general, communication with the patient, support in him of faith in recovery is important. Cancer confusion is relieved in this way.
If such remedies do not have sufficient effect, they resort to medical treatment, usually consisting of takingneuroleptics. At the same time, there is no exact information about the advantage of any drugs over others, the main parameter is the presence of a sedative effect. However, they may not always be applicable. The drug is first prescribed at a minimum dose, and then gradually increased, while observing the resulting reaction. It is important that there are no manifestations of the opposite effect - an increase in behavioral disorders.
Difficulty inducing and restoring the sleep-wake cycle. Sometimes, in order to improve nighttime sleep, the patient is not allowed to fall asleep during the day. Sleeping pills rarely have the desired effect and more often the full cycle returns to normal only after the confusion has passed.
