Delirium: It’s More Common Than You Think

Also called "acute confusional state" or "organic brain syndrome,” delirium is a scary condition most of us don’t want to think about. Sadly, this brain disorder is way more common than you think, especially among older adults. It’s a serious condition that should not be ignored or confused with dementia, as any delay in treatment can be very dangerous. The good news is that delirium is curable (and one in three cases are preventable too), which is why knowing how to spot it in a spouse, family member, friend, or yourself is so incredibly important.

What is delirium? 

Delirium is a neurological condition when brain activity gets so disrupted that it impairs one’s cognitive abilities and causes widespread confusion. People who have delirium act nothing like themselves, and they may not even recognize their own family members.

This health condition is most common in older adults at the hospital; 1 in 3 hospitalized adults over age 70 have it. However, anyone can experience delirium, even if it’s less widespread. 

 

Delirium is a very serious condition, but the good news is that it’s often temporary. Treatment is administered depending on the cause, be it illness, medication side effects, or infection. 

 

So you already know that hospitalization and age can increase one’s risk of developing delirium. But there are also a few other factors, namely: 

 

Surgery or injury 

 

Misuse of medications 

 

Dementia or Parkinson's disease 

 

Insomnia 

 

Living in a nursing home 

 

Hearing or vision impairment 

 

Multiple underlying health conditions.

 

A history of depression. 

 

A past history of delirium. 

 

Symptoms of delirium 

 

Confusion is considered the primary symptom of delirium. Practically, this symptom manifests itself through: 

 

Trouble concentrating and shifting attention from one thing to another 

 

Disorientation 

 

Having difficulties recalling the date, time, and where you are 

 

Not recognizing family members, friends, and acquaintances 

 

Trouble explaining yourself clearly, rambling 

 

Difficulties recalling recent memories.

In addition, individuals going through delirium may display: 

 

Rapid changes in movement (such as being hyperactive or unusually slow) 

 

Drowsiness, withdrawal, and apathy 

 

Mood swings, increased irritability, paranoia, fear, or anger 

 

Moaning or calling out 

 

Sudden difficulties completing everyday activities, such as eating, walking, reading, or writing. 

 

Symptoms appear rather rapidly – within hours or days, and they fluctuate throughout the day. In general, a person experiencing delirium may also feel better during the day, but get worse at night when the surroundings look more unfamiliar. 

 

As you may have noticed, some of these symptoms contradict each other. That’s because delirium can make a person more active, less active, or have them ping-pong between hyperactivity and reduced activity. That’s why doctors typically distinguish between the following three types of delirium:

Types of delirium 

 

1. Hyperactive delirium 

Individuals with this type of delirium are anxious, agitated, and have mood swings. They may refuse to cooperate with caregivers, display aggression, and talk with a “filter,” meaning that they are more rude than usual or use profanity even though they’ve never done so in the past. Symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia, may also be present. All in all, the individual suddenly becomes more restless and active than usual. 

 

2. Hypoactive delirium

Hypoactive delirium is the flip side of the previous type, as it is accompanied by a reduced level of activity. Individuals with this type of delirium appear sluggish, unable to concentrate, and appear to be in a daze. They may also have a blank facial expression while speaking or display no interest in the surroundings. Movements may become slower, they may sleep more, miss meals, and seem quiet and withdrawn. 

 

3. Mixed delirium  

As the name indicates, this type combines the features of the previous two types. A person may switch back and forth between hyperactive and hypoactive delirium. Generally, you may not see a change in activity level, but the person will display hyperactive symptoms, like agitation, and then return to hypoactive symptoms by sleeping all day. 

 

What is the difference between delirium and dementia? 

These two conditions are often confused because they are similar on the surface. Even though both delirium and dementia involve confusion and memory issues as a symptom, there are several key differences between these two conditions. 

 

The primary difference is the rapid onset. Delirium begins quickly and abruptly, whereas a person with dementia will generally get worse over a long period of time, often years. Another feature of delirium are the fluctuations between periods of alertness and confusion during the day. In contrast, dementia is a more constant reduction in cognitive abilities. The memory issues tend to be different too: while dementia patients have long-term memory problems, delirium patients have issues with short-term memory.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.  

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