What is clouding of the mind and why is it dangerous? Clouded consciousness: causes, symptoms and treatment of clouded consciousness Cloudy consciousness causes

Unclear thinking Foggy thoughts Confusion, confusion Disorientation Disorientation Fuzzy Thinking Inability to think clearly Inability to think quickly Memory loss Loss of orientation Memory impairment Confusion Mental Personality change Unable to think clearly Fuzzy Thinking

Blackout is a change in mental state in which a person is unable to think with his or her usual level of clarity. Often, clouding of consciousness leads to a loss of the ability to recognize people and/or places, communicate time and date, and make decisions independently.

Clouding of consciousness may occur suddenly or develop gradually over time. Brain fog can be caused by several reasons, including injury, illness, medications, environmental factors, alcoholism, drug addiction, and substance abuse.

Causes of Clouding of Mind

Alcohol intoxication Carbon monoxide poisoning

Delirium tremens, delirium Dissociative disorders Electrolyte imbalance Fever Fatigue, Head injury Hospitalizations (especially in the elderly) Hypothermia Hypoxia (decreased oxygen in the blood) at high altitude Korsakoff's syndrome Liver failure Medications Malnutrition Mental disorders Insomnia

Toxins Transient ischemic attack (TIA) Wernicke encephalopathy

Video: LJ141106 077 varjag 2007 Igor Strelkov it is possible to cure Ukrainians from clouding of consciousness

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Malfunctions in the functioning of human vital systems do not always manifest themselves in the form of pain and other striking symptoms. Sometimes they take the form of uncomfortable sensations. Brain fog is one of the common warning signs that many people simply ignore. Its one-time appearance against the background of intense physical or mental stress should not be a cause for alarm. If a person does not have clarity of thought and there is a decrease in the quality of vision for no apparent reason and on a regular basis, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor for advice.

Symptoms of a fuzzy head

Depending on the cause, the pathological manifestation may occur once a week or less, or become a constant companion.

Clouding of consciousness can be mild and annoying, but sometimes its severity prevents you from doing your usual activities. An attack can last from 2-3 minutes to several hours.

The condition when the head is in a fog is often accompanied by the following symptoms:

dizziness and a feeling of lethargy, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the head;
fatigue and weakness that are not associated with any type of activity or rest;
a feeling of futility and dullness of consciousness - as if there is a vacuum in the head after drinking alcohol or drugs;
headache, increased heart rate, and changes in blood pressure may be present. Often a person does not think well and cannot even move due to the fact that the muscles “do not work.”

You will learn about the effect of high blood pressure on the occurrence of cephalgia
This vague state usually develops in response to external factors. This could be a change in weather, increased mental activity, or unusual physical activity. In complex cases, the clinical picture appears on its own, without any provoking factors.

What is fainting?

In simple terms, fainting is a sudden loss of consciousness. The causes of this condition are unexpected disorders of brain metabolism. A decrease in metabolic rate occurs due to a decrease in cerebral blood flow. This pathological condition most often overtakes a person unexpectedly, but in rare cases, there are some kind of precursors: the person becomes weak, feels clouded in consciousness, and “spots” may flash before the eyes. As soon as the reduced muscle tone reaches very low levels, after which the person falls sharply, this condition can be characterized as “legs giving way.”

Symptoms of fainting:

• Increased sweating in humans

• His heart is beating fast

• Nausea may occur both before and after an attack.

• Severe dizziness, loss of orientation in space

• The skin becomes pale, marbled

• Vision deteriorates, causing objects to blur before the eyes

• After consciousness returns, a broken and depressed state may appear, the patient would rather lie down.

Causes of a heavy head

Under certain conditions, fuzzy head syndrome can develop in a healthy person. During pregnancy, hormonal changes occur in a woman’s body, which can cause fogginess of consciousness, forgetfulness, weakness and capricious mood. The same picture is sometimes observed during menopause, but it is not as pronounced. Lack of sleep, disruption of work and rest patterns, and drug abuse are also common causes of this unpleasant condition.

Astheno-neurotic syndrome

Doctors, teachers, scientists and other representatives of “intellectual” professions are most often faced with the problem. Features of activity and working conditions constantly test the strength of their nervous system and provoke excessive psycho-emotional stress. Modern doctors even equate this condition with mental disorders, insisting on the immediate start of specialized treatment. Fortunately, it responds well to treatment and prevention.

Neurasthenia usually develops gradually. It begins with unusual morning weakness and irritability even for minor reasons. Then constant pressing headaches arise, which become the cause of aggression towards others. The patient begins to feel heaviness in the skull, his head becomes “woolly.” If no action is taken at this stage, rapid heartbeat, decreased muscle strength, and chest pain may occur.

Vegetovascular dystonia

The development of VSD is characterized by the appearance in the patient of a whole complex of symptoms against the background of disruption of the autonomic nervous system. A person experiences a headache, which manifests itself in the form of attacks and is difficult to relieve with medications. A person becomes tired and irritable, everything swims before his eyes. However, modern examination methods do not reveal any organic or physiological disorders.

The diagnosis is made based on the patient's complaints. The clinical picture develops gradually, but if left untreated, the symptoms reach their peak quite quickly.

The headache appears immediately after waking up and gets worse when bending over. During physical activity, a person experiences fog in front of their eyes. The severity of the symptoms increases throughout the day, even while taking analgesics and antispasmodics. The patient's gait becomes unsteady due to dizziness, ringing in the ears and nausea appear.

Gluten containing products

Brain fog may be a sign of a common food allergy. Modern people are increasingly becoming intolerant to gluten, a special protein found in cereals. When a substance enters the body, it triggers protective chemical reactions. The substances released as a result provoke hormonal imbalances and have a negative effect on the brain.

The condition is characterized by the following symptoms:

brain fog and blurred vision;
psychological disorders in the form of anxiety and anxiety;
lethargy, apathy and weakness up to depression;
disruptions in the functioning of the digestive system - abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating;
Sometimes there are signs of a complete loss of clarity of thought.

To confirm or refute the diagnosis, it is enough to visit an allergist and undergo a special test. Treatment of the disease in this case involves following a diet. Products with gluten are excluded from the patient’s diet, i.e. all products that contain wheat flour.

Oxygen starvation

Compression or blockage of the channels through which oxygen enters the brain leads to a deficiency of the substance in the tissues. This causes a decrease in the functionality of the organ and a deterioration in the person’s well-being. The patient develops confusion, fog in the eyes, and severe weakness. The head feels very heavy, and cephalalgia may develop. In advanced cases, loss of consciousness is possible. In the supine position the condition improves slightly.

Oxygen deficiency in the brain is caused by the following factors:

consumption of alcohol and drugs;
smoking tobacco and various mixtures;
pathologically high or low blood pressure;
diseases of the spine, due to which the blood supply to the brain is disrupted;
past traumatic brain injuries;
refusal to walk in the fresh air, physical activity, or ventilate rooms;
swelling of the nasal passages due to a cold or allergic rhinitis.

Refusal to treat oxygen starvation can lead to the development of ischemia. Brain tissues deficient in the chemical compound gradually lose their functionality.

At first, the structures surrounding the affected area take over its responsibilities, but gradually a stage of decompensation develops. Entire areas of the brain cease to fulfill their purpose, which negatively affects the entire body.

Changes in the structure of the cartilage tissue of the vertebrae lead to compression of blood vessels and nerves in certain areas of the spine. When the arteries are damaged, the brain ceases to receive sufficient nutrients and oxygen. If the veins suffer, the outflow of blood is disrupted, causing the organ to be poisoned by its own toxins. All this leads to a deterioration in a person’s well-being and the appearance of a characteristic clinical picture.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine:

crunching and pain in the neck, which intensifies when tilting or turning the head;
tension and stiffness in the shoulder girdle;
feeling of heaviness in the head;
lack of a sense of clarity, foggy thoughts, difficulty perceiving information and remembering things;
cephalalgia - dull, increasing sensations, localized in the occipital region and moving to the crown or temples;
general weakness and dizziness;
slight nausea.

Also, against the background of osteochondrosis, ringing in the ears may occur, you will learn more about this
The development of osteochondrosis is promoted by poor nutrition, refusal of exercise, and prolonged stay in an uncomfortable forced position. The disease can be triggered by sleeping on an incorrectly selected pillow or too soft mattress.

In the initial stages of the disease, symptoms appear in the afternoon. In advanced cases, manifestations of the disease can be a constant concern.

Causes, manifestations and relief from the feeling of brain fog

Body balance, along with clarity of vision, ensures the ability to maintain the position of the body and its parts in space.

It depends on the constant afferentation of the somatosensory, vestibular and visual apparatus, on the processing of this information in the brain stem, cerebellum, basal ganglia, and some parts of the cortex.

Dysfunction in any of these areas of the nervous system results in a relatively specific imbalance that can be distinguished by history and clinical examination. Cloudiness in the head and fog before the eyes are common manifestations of imbalance.

Etiopathogenesis

The brain functions like a constantly running computer. When exposed to discomfort, he will begin to limit some of his actions. One of them is a sense of consciousness, conscious presence. Lack of oxygen, nutrients in the brain, accumulation of metabolic waste, and toxins are factors that lead to fainting, blurred vision, and a foggy state.

With very rare manifestations of the head as if in a fog, the reasons most likely lie in alcohol abuse and an unhealthy lifestyle. Persistent fogginess may indicate illness.

Why does brain fog occur?

Basically we are talking about the body’s protective reaction to a condition in which the required amount of oxygen does not reach the brain. Due to a slower heart rate and lower blood pressure, the return of blood to the heart and the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain slow down. This is immediately detected by the cells, the brain tries to help the heart, momentarily turning off consciousness.

In a horizontal position, the supply of the required amount of blood to the brain improves, so if you feel dizzy, weak, or have blurred vision, it is recommended to lie down.

What Causes Brain Fog?

This condition sometimes occurs in healthy people as a result of fear, shock, prolonged standing, or staying in one position. But with a cloudy head, the causes can also be represented by more serious diseases. If such problems occur frequently (more than once a month), consult a doctor.

Causes of brain fog in healthy people:

Prolonged standing, which can also cause cramps. These symptoms may also indicate chronic venous insufficiency.
Rapid changes in body position, for example when standing up from a sitting position. We are talking about orthostatic hypotension, which is a drop in blood pressure with a rapid change in posture. This condition can be supported by certain medications.
Prolonged tilting of the head (for example, when looking at the sky), causing a decrease in blood flow to the head.
Prolonged stay in a room with “heavy” air.
Fright.
Emotional excitement, nervousness.
Swallowing.
Defecation.
Urination.
Shaving or tying a tie.
Phobias, looking at unpleasant things (blood, needles, arachnophobia, fear of heights, other phobias).
Emotional trauma.
Depression.
Exhaustion.
Dehydration.
Intoxication.
Sudden or severe pain.
Severe cough, sneezing.
Laughter.
Poor or insufficient sleep.
Playing sports in high ambient temperatures.
Hormonal changes.
Pregnancy (increased cardiac output).

For brain fog, causes may include medications. These include medications for hypertension, allergies, depression, and nausea.

Tablets that may make your head feel cloudy:

opioid analgesics (at the beginning of use, as a rule, symptoms decrease over time);
parasympathomimetics (by lowering blood pressure);
sympatholytics used to reduce blood pressure, tachycardia (blocking norepinephrine receptors);
antidepressants;
combinations of antidepressants or their use with opioids - can lead to thought disorders, serotonin syndrome (CNS irritation, tremor, muscle twitching, impaired consciousness, hypertension, rapid heartbeat);
diuretics.

Brain fog as a symptom of illness

People with a number of diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, chronic lung diseases, and people prone to panic attacks are more prone to feeling brain fog.

However, this condition may be one of the symptoms of other pathologies:

cardiac arrhythmias, heart rhythm disturbances due to pulmonary embolism, obstruction in the pulmonary bed - with these disorders the brain does not receive a sufficient amount of oxygenated blood;
heart tumors that cause obstruction of blood flow, manifested, in particular, by fatigue, heaviness in the body, and inability to perform normal physical activities;
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a condition in which the heart wall is normal, but the capacity of the heart is insufficient; because of this, it does not receive enough blood and works ineffectively;
aortic stenosis or narrowing of the aorta - like heart tumors, these conditions cause insufficient blood supply to the brain and are characterized by drowsiness, inability to concentrate, and inability to perform normal physical activities;
chronic venous insufficiency – prevents blood from returning to the heart;
cerebrovascular disease, cerebral vascular disorders, such as narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the brain;
migraine;
vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD);
some mental illnesses, neuroses;
acute myocardial infarction;
cervical osteochondrosis with compression of blood vessels or nerves;
cold, ARVI.

Types of manifestations according to causes

There are several types of manifestations of brain fog. They are classified based on the primary causes.

Neurogenic factors

Neurogenically mediated brain fog with dysregulation of blood pressure is a manifestation of vagotonia. Sometimes the symptom occurs reflexively - in pain, after passion, for psychological reasons (fear, looking at blood, etc.). Prodromes, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat often occur.

This group includes urinary-related brain fog that occurs in men during or after urination (mostly without prodromes).

Cerebrovascular factors

A frequent provocative moment is tilting or turning the head. This disorder is more common in older people. In young people it is called cervical syncope. The disorder is manifested by a violation of proprioceptive and autonomic innervation in the cervical spine. At the same time, the back of the head may hurt; the pain often radiates to the arm.

Disorders in the carotid artery usually do not cause such conditions, but only in the absence of concomitant vertebrobasilar insufficiency.

Orthostatic (postural) hypotension

Brain fog usually occurs in an upright position, most often after standing for a long time, sometimes after sleep.

Occurs in vegetatively labile individuals, with disorders of the autonomic system (vegetative dysfunction in parkinsonians, some polyneuropathies, etc.

), may be mediated by drugs (phenothiazines, antihypertensive drugs, vasodilators, L-dopa, diuretics), dehydration.

Sometimes the disorder manifests itself only as dizziness, usually in an upright position. In other cases, it may be difficult for a person to focus his vision and “catch” a thought.

Cardiac factors

Fog in adults and even children can occur with a number of heart disorders, including:

heart rhythm disturbance;
heart rate is too high or low;
valve defect;
aortic stenosis;
ischemic disease;
acute myocardial infarction;
pulmonary embolism.

Valsalva mechanism

Darkness in the head when coughing occurs due to increased intrathoracic pressure, causing a decrease in venous return to the heart. This disorder is most common in patients with chronic bronchitis. In addition to coughing, the symptom causes a burst of laughter. Sometimes in such situations my ears become blocked.

Psychogenic factors

After passion, with hysteria, sometimes with hyperventilation tetany, short-term memory impairment, drowsiness, and fog in the head may occur. It can be difficult for a person to think.

Symptoms

Brain fog is often preceded (or accompanied) by the following symptoms:

extreme fatigue;
dizziness;
heartbeat;
dyspnea;
anxiety;
nausea;
blurred vision;
inability to concentrate;
tremor;
excessive sweating.

For some people, these symptoms worsen during eating, heat, exercise, or strenuous activity. Increased symptoms are typical for women during menstruation.

If the above symptoms appear, you must act quickly to prevent possible fainting. At home, it is recommended to take a horizontal position and raise your legs. On the street, it is advisable to ask passers-by for help.

Diagnostics

A detailed medical history is important for a correct diagnosis. It must contain an accurate description of the event, prodromes, symptoms preceding it and other information. It is also important to find out how often brain fog occurs and whether individual cases have common features.

The history should include the following information:

type of imbalance, improving and worsening factors;
provocative moments, the onset of instability (acute, slow);
duration of progression (minutes, days, months, years);
course (continuous, progressive, episodic); for episodic manifestations - duration of the attack;
accompanying symptoms (vegetative, auditory, neurological, others);
history of somatic and psychiatric comorbidities, medications used.

From the anamnesis and clinical examination we can distinguish:

signs indicating damage to the vestibular system;
ataxia as a result of damage to the cerebellum, proprioceptive pathways, and vestibular system;
disturbances in stability due to damage to the basal ganglia, frontal cortex;
nonspecific or presyncopic states of imbalance caused by cardiovascular, metabolic, and autonomic causes.

The doctor may also ask about medications you take regularly or occasionally.

Family history includes information about the presence of sudden deaths in the family, especially at a younger age. Cardiac activity is also monitored using ECG and blood pressure is monitored.

Treatment

Treatment consists of eliminating the causes - it is most often possible to get rid of a symptom after curing the disease that caused it.

Traditional methods

Herbs used in traditional medicine:

gentian;
valerian;
Rehmania;
rosemary.

Diagnostics

If you experience a feeling of foggy thoughts, you should contact your local therapist. If possible, you should prepare a short diary for the visit indicating the time and frequency of the symptom, its duration, and the presence of additional alarming signs. Pathologies that cause brain fog can be treated by a therapist, ENT specialist, neurologist, psychotherapist and other specialized specialists.

To find out the cause of heaviness in the head, the following diagnostic methods are used:

general blood and urine tests - help to exclude the presence of infections, inflammations and establish the causes of atherosclerosis;
Ultrasound of the brain, neck vessels;
CT and MRI of the cervical spine and head;
angiography of cerebral vessels.

Even in cases where the causes of the symptom are clearly due to a violation of the sleep schedule or overwork, it is better to undergo an examination under the supervision of a neurologist. This will eliminate organic brain damage and concomitant pathologies and will help select the optimal treatment option for the condition.

Treatment for fuzzy head

The principles of therapy depend on the cause that provokes the condition. Eliminating the underlying disease will relieve the unpleasant symptom. In this case, medications are taken only with the permission of the doctor after the diagnosis has been established. During treatment, the patient's physical activity should be limited and rest should be ensured.

To quickly and independently get rid of brain fog, you can try the following approaches:

try to sleep in a dark, ventilated and quiet room;
perform a light massage of the collar area to restore blood circulation and breathe fresh air;
if you have high blood pressure, take an antihypertensive drug or drink a diuretic tea (bearberry, lingonberry leaves);
if you have low blood pressure, drink coffee or strong black tea;
if fog in the head is combined with cephalgia, you can take a one-time drug from the NSAID group - Ibuprofen or Citramon.

You will learn about possible methods of treating headaches without medications from

In cases where the appearance of fog in the head is associated with the peculiarities of the regime or work, it is worth thinking about changing the type of activity or adjusting the schedule. People in responsible positions are helped by relaxation techniques and hobbies. The systematic use of traditional medicine gives a good effect. Ginseng and Eleutherococcus will have a general strengthening effect on the body. Melissa, chamomile and mint will help relieve tension.

A cloudy head indicates disruptions in the course of biochemical reactions in the brain. Such a sign cannot be ignored if it appears systematically. Timely diagnosis will allow you to identify the problem at an early stage of development and eliminate it without harm to the body.

This is a type of psychological state, expressed in the inability to really think and evaluate what is happening around. This type of deviation is a serious change in consciousness, but still is not recognized as a clinical diagnosis. A person, when clouded, ceases to recognize familiar people, places where he has been before; date and time are also erased from memory; Independent decision-making is also incomprehensible. This illness should not be confused with dementia or mental retardation. These are different states.

The type of disease in question occurs abruptly or develops gradually. The sudden onset of clouding of consciousness can be due to physical causes coming from outside. For example, traumatic brain injury in an accident, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc. At the same time, the patient can not only forget fragments of life and not objectively perceive surrounding events, but also invent fables that do not correspond to reality. The gradual development of the disease is influenced by: overdose of alcohol, drugs, fever, liver failure, long-term use of medications, polluted environment, insomnia, damage by toxic elements of the body. There are also diseases that lead to clouding of consciousness. These are: Alzheimer's disease, hypothyroidism, brain tumor, dementia, hypoglycemia, epilepsy, schizophrenia, dehydration, heat or sunstroke, kidney disease, diseases of the nervous system.

Is this a stroke? 7 first symptoms of acute cerebral circulatory disorder

Acute cerebrovascular accident is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.
But its consequences can be minimized if you seek help from a doctor in time. Unfortunately, people often mistake the symptoms of a stroke for other pathologies, which only worsens their condition. Never ignore these symptoms

Every minute after a stroke occurs, approximately 1.9 million brain cells die. Every hour spent without treatment takes about 3.5 years off your life. The longer a person waits to seek help, the more likely they are to suffer from memory loss, behavioral changes or speech problems in the future.

The earlier doctors were able to diagnose a stroke, the greater the patient's chances of full recovery. There are 2 types of strokes. Ischemic occurs when, due to decreased blood flow or a blood clot, the blood supply to a certain area of the brain is cut off. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a sudden rupture of blood vessels causes bleeding in the brain.

It is noteworthy that both types of this disease usually have the same symptoms. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor immediately after detecting a suspicious deterioration in your health, without waiting until your condition worsens even further.

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Deterioration of vision

Often the first sign of a stroke is a sudden change in vision, such as blurred vision, blurred vision, or double vision. People often justify these dangerous symptoms by thinking that they appeared due to fatigue or stress. However, doctors believe that double vision is a dangerous sign of a stroke. This pathology extremely rarely appears precisely because of fatigue.

Even if you have been reading complex literature all day and straining your eyes, then you should be wary. During a stroke, a blood clot can often block the flow of oxygen to one area of the brain. It is because of this that the patient suddenly develops vision problems. At the same time, he may not have other symptoms of a stroke at the initial stage of its development.

Numbness of legs and arms

When we wake up, we can often discover that we have carelessly rested our leg or arm. The unpleasant tingling and goosebumps usually disappear after 1-2 minutes. Many patients who are subsequently diagnosed with a stroke experience similar sensations. It is noteworthy that in this case the numbness does not go away for a long time.

On the contrary, it may become more pronounced. This symptom occurs due to decreased blood flow through the artery that runs up the spine to the back of the head. Therefore, if your hand suddenly loses sensation and the numbness does not go away after a couple of minutes, do not ignore this dangerous symptom and be sure to seek help from a doctor.

Slurred speech

Long-term use of certain medications can cause many side effects, including slurred speech.

Because of this, people who take them often do not pay attention to this symptom, thinking that it appeared because of the pills.

However, slurred speech is the most obvious sign of a stroke, so you should immediately call an ambulance if you notice it. It is often combined with another symptom – facial asymmetry.

Unsteady gait

Doctors consider staggering and an unsteady gait to be one of the first signs of a stroke. Unfortunately, hemorrhage often occurs when a person has drunk even a little alcohol. Therefore, he is not able to soberly assess his condition, thinking that alcohol is the culprit of his instability.

Doctors remind that staggering appears only when you are very intoxicated. Therefore, if you have only drunk 1-2 glasses of wine, but suddenly start stumbling and feel very dizzy, then be sure to seek help. Because such symptoms are often caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain.

Blackout

A stroke is characterized by clouding of consciousness, when the patient cannot collect his thoughts or forgets about things he just talked about. Often, people justify the sudden deterioration in their health by being extremely tired or overworked. However, it is clouding of consciousness that is the most characteristic symptom of a stroke.

It’s worth paying attention to if you can’t gather your thoughts for an unusually long time. Call an ambulance if you feel your condition getting worse by the minute. Do not wait until the clouding of consciousness goes away on its own.

Sometimes a person cannot independently determine that he has problems expressing his thoughts. He may think that he speaks normally, although in fact he makes mistakes in constructing sentences or forgets words. In this case, his relatives or friends should pay attention to the problem.

They should also contact a doctor immediately if they notice any suspicious symptoms.

Strong headache

There are many reasons that cause headaches. It is not always caused by a stroke. But if unbearably severe pain appears suddenly, then you should pay attention to it. Especially if you don't usually suffer from migraines. Doctors recommend that you still seek help without waiting for it to go away on its own.

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Symptoms

Symptoms of clouding of consciousness: unclear thoughts, unintelligible thinking, disorientation in space, confusion, confusion, disordered speech, psychological changes in behavior, amnesia, the ability to reflect and think slows down.

If you have any of the above symptoms, you should urgently contact a neurologist, traumatologist, therapist, psychotherapist or toxicologist. If this disease is left untreated, it can lead to accidents and various crimes, because... the individual is unable to function logically and well in society.

Experts do not advise self-medication. Because all treatment methods have contraindications, it is possible to harm your health even more. It should be borne in mind that the causes of temporary clouding of consciousness are different, therefore the stages of treatment will be different according to the individual approach to the patient. There is an important aspect in practice, which shows numerous cases when clouding dissipates by itself over time and the person returns to normal.

Natalia Lobanova

There are several different forms of impairment of consciousness, and one of these is stupefaction - a transient disturbance of mental activity that can last minutes, hours, days, less often than a week.

This diagnosis is made in the following conditions:

detachment from the surrounding world, which sometimes reaches the complete inability to perceive reality;
with partial or complete disorientation in time, place, surrounding;
with varying degrees of incoherence of thinking, weakness or complete impossibility of correct judgments;
partial or complete forgetting of the period of darkness.

To make a diagnosis, all of the listed symptoms must be present.

There are 5 main syndromes of clouded consciousness - stupor, delirium, oneiroid, amenicia, twilight stupor.

What is fainting?

Symptoms of fainting:

• Increased sweating in humans

• His heart is beating fast

• Nausea may occur both before and after an attack.

• Severe dizziness, loss of orientation in space

• The skin becomes pale, marbled

• Vision deteriorates, causing objects to blur before the eyes

• After consciousness returns, a broken and depressed state may appear, the patient would rather lie down.

Stun

This pathology is characterized by impoverishment of the psyche. The person becomes silent, inactive, indifferent, and in a state of dozing. He has difficulty answering simple questions and gives inaccurate/wrong answers. There are no hallucinations, delusions, affective or other disorders.

Sleep passes without dreams. As the pathology progresses, stupor turns into stupor (lack of response to verbal calls, the presence of a motor reaction to physical stimulation, for example, injections), and then into a coma. Stunning that occurs in a mild form is called nullification.

Delirious confusion

Delirium, or delirious syndrome, is the opposite of stupor. It is characterized by many psychopathic deviations, especially visual ones (scene-like hallucinations, numerous fantastic illusions, figurative and visual memories).

At the same time, patients can perceive hallucinations as reality: they react vividly, move actively, catch someone, defend themselves, try to escape, etc. The facial expression is constantly changing. The patient is talkative, but his speech is fragmentary, inconsistent, and may be limited only to screams.

The mood is constantly changing: in short periods, panic fear can turn into anxious curiosity, or tearfulness into euphoria.

The doctor may detect unsystematized and fragmentary ideas of persecution, tactile, auditory and olfactory hallucinations. The patient is well oriented in his personality, but falsely in the place and surrounding persons, for example, while in the hospital, he believes that he is visiting.

The state of consciousness during delirium may improve. As a rule, pathology more often manifests itself in the evening and at night. Memories of this period are usually partial and fragmentary. As the disorder progresses, occupational delirium develops - motor overexcitation in the form of habitual, monotonous, repetitive actions (eg movements of a cashier, salesperson), while illusions and visual hallucinations decrease or disappear altogether. Patients become uncommunicative, deeply disoriented, and rarely have clear spaces.

Mumbling delirium is accompanied by muttering, motor agitation, and uncoordinated actions. Excitement can be similar to being robbed: the patient monotonously pulls at the blanket, continuously fumbles with his hands, etc. The forms of delirium indicate the degree of the pathology. After the psychosis disappears, the person has no memories of it.

Oneiric stupefaction

Oneiroid, or oneiroid syndrome, is a delusional-fantastic, dream-like clouding of consciousness. Pathology is characterized by influxes of fantastic dreams that arise in the mind, which can completely take over a person (he does not notice those around him) or are combined with pictures of the surrounding environment. Catatonic disorders with lethargy or agitation are common.

As a rule, patients are inactive, silent, practically motionless, their facial expression is frozen.

In the gaze, delight, fear, detachment, amazement, etc. alternately appear. When the patients come to their senses, they say that in this state they were participants in various fantastic events. Sometimes such stories are fragmentary, sometimes they are consistent and complete. After delirium or oneiroid, a patient may remain convinced that all hallucinations were reality (residual delusion). Usually this conviction goes away after days, weeks, months; with epilepsy it can last longer.

Twilight stupefaction

This disorder appears abruptly, does not last long (minutes, hours, sometimes several days), and disappears just as suddenly. This is usually followed by deep sleep. Pathology is expressed in absolute disorientation in the environment, but habitual, automated actions are partially or completely preserved, so patients may not attract the attention of strangers. If during twilight darkness a person wanders involuntarily, ambulatory automatism occurs.

However, the disorder can be more acute, accompanied by fear, speech and motor agitation, and melancholy. Sometimes the patient experiences frenzied rage, delirium, and frightening hallucinations. With such a violation, a person is constantly aggressive, extremely cruel, and commits destructive actions aimed at surrounding people and objects. After the psychosis, he remembers nothing.

They speak of drowsy twilight stupefaction when the patient is abruptly awakened from a deep sleep. He performs monotonous actions, is afraid, commits destructive acts against the background of the latter. Psychosis lasts several minutes, then turns into sleep. There may be a vague memory of the clouding.

It is worth noting that clouding of human consciousness in the form of delirium, stupor, amentia often occurs during intoxication and infectious psychoses, due to pathologies of the central nervous system, for example, with vascular psychoses.

Twilight stupefaction often accompanies epilepsy and traumatic psychoses, and oneiroid - schizophrenia.

Causes of sudden loss of consciousness

The inability to think clearly can range from mild disturbances to an alarming loss of contact with reality. Cases of sudden psychosis can occur to absolutely anyone.

Usually the reasons are hidden in the following conditions:

Head injury;
Poor supply of oxygen or blood to the brain, for example after a stroke;
Progressive degeneration of the brain (ex. Alzheimer's disease);
Severe emotional shock;
Catastrophically low or excessively high concentration of sugar;
Dehydration;
In older people, urinary tract infection;
Temperature over 40°C;
Infections affecting the brain (eg meningitis);
Alcohol poisoning of the body;
Taking excessively large doses of medications, such as sedatives.

Symptoms of confusion:

Disorientation;
Lack of perception of surrounding people;
Hallucinations;
Excitation;
Changes in mood or personality - sudden irritability, depression, strange behavior;
Loss of activity, interest in usual activities;
Lack of personal hygiene;
Memory losses;
Difficulty speaking, difficulty thinking things through;
It is impossible to concentrate on a simple task;
Unpredictable behavior.