Why Am I Seeing Things That Aren't Really There? - WebMD

When you're sure you've seen something, then realize it's not actually there, it can jolt you. It's called a visual hallucination, ... MenuNews&FeaturesReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesVideosQuestions&AnswersFindaNeurologistLivingBetterWithMSADHDAlzheimer'sDiseaseAutismConcussionCreutzfeldt-JakobDiseaseEpilepsyGuillain-BarréSyndromeLouGehrig’sDisease(ALS)MultipleSclerosisParkinson'sDiseaseRestlessLegsSyndromeSpinalMuscularAtrophyStrokeMoreRelatedTopicsBrain&NervousSystemReferenceMenuMedicallyReviewedbySmithaBhandari, MDonSeptember13,2020InthisArticleWhyItMightHappenDiagnosisTreatmentWhenyou’resureyou’veseensomething,thenrealizeit’snotactuallythere,itcanjoltyou.It’scalledavisualhallucination,anditcanseemlikeyourmindisplayingtricksonyou.Beyondbeingscaryorstressful,it’salsousuallyasignthatsomethingelseisgoingon.Soifit’shappeningtoyou,talktoyourdoctor.That’sthefirststeptowardgettingbetter.WhyItMightHappenFrommentalillnesstoquirksinhowyousleep,therearealotofreasonsyoumaybeseeingthings.Alcoholandillegaldrugs.Heavydrinkingandcertainstreetdrugs,likeecstasy,cocaine,andLSD,cancauseyoutoseeanythingfromflashesoflighttopeople.Theycanhavethesameeffectwhenyouquitafterhavingusedthemforalongtime.Alzheimer’sdiseaseandotherkindsofdementia.InthelatestagesofAlzheimer’s,changestothebraincanleadtohallucinations.InanotherbrainconditioncalledLewybodydementia,youmayseecompletescenesplayoutbeforeyoureyes.Anton’ssyndrome.Thisisarareconditionwhereyougoblindbutwon’tadmitit.Often,thepeoplearoundyoudon’tknowit’shappeneduntilyourunintosomethingandmakeupsomefar-outreasonstoexplainwhy.Braintumors.Noteveryonewhohasabraintumorhasvisualhallucinations.Butifthetumorpressesonapartofthebrainthathandlesvision,there’sachanceitcouldhappen.Ifitdoes,youtendtoseeverylifelikescenes.CharlesBonnetsyndrome.Thisusuallyaffectsolderadultswhohaveseriouseyesightproblems,suchasmaculardegeneration,cataracts,orglaucoma.Insomecases,youseerichscenesfilledwithpeopleandanimals.Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease(CJD).Thisrare,life-threateningbrainconditionusuallyaffectsolderadults.Itcanleadtochangesinhowyouseecolorsandshapes.Delirium.Somedrugs,infections,andothermedicalissuescanbringondelirium,aconditionwhereyou’reconfusedandcan’tfocusorthinkclearly.Itcanseemalotlikeamentalillness.Epilepsy.Whatyoumightseewithepilepsydependsonwhichpartofyourbraintheseizurescomefrom.Often,you’dseesimplerimages,likebrightlycoloredspotsorflashingshapes,butitcouldbemorecomplex,too.Highfeversandinfections.Someinfections,likemeningitis,cantriggerhallucinationsasoneoftheirsymptoms.Highfeversmightdoit,too,whichsometimeshappensinchildren.Intensestress.Daily,run-of-the-millworriesaren’tanissue.Butmoreseriousstressandotherstrongemotionscanhaveabigimpact.Onecommonexampleishowpeoplethinktheyseealovedoneafterthatperson’srecentdeath.Mentalillness.Hallucinationsarecommonwithschizophrenia.Usually,youhearvoices,butinmoreseriouscases,youmightseevividsceneswithfamilymembers,animals,orreligiousfigures.Seeingthingsisn’tascommoninothermentalillnesses,butitcansometimeshappenwith:BipolardisorderBorderlinepersonalitydisorderMajordepressivedisorderPosttraumaticstressdisorder(PTSD)SchizoaffectivedisorderMigraines.About1in3peoplewithmigrainesalsogetauras.TheyoftencomeonasaflickeringthatgrowsintoacrescentorC-shapewithazig-zagedge.Parkinson’sdisease.AbouthalfthepeoplewithParkinson’sdiseasehavehallucinations.Mostofthetime,thesevisionsaren’tthreatening.Itmaybemorelikewatchingamovieasyouseeapersonoffdoingsomethinginanotherpartoftheroom.Sideeffectsfrommedicine.Thisisusuallyduetothedoseandmostoftenaffectsolderadults.It’smorelikelytohappenifyoutakeseveralkindsofmedications.Sleepissues.Seeingthingsjustasyoufallasleeporwakeupiscommonandusuallynothingtoworryabout.Youmightseeamovingobjectoraperson,butitseemsalittledreamy.It’smorelikelytohappenifyoutendtofallasleeprandomly(narcolepsy)orhaveahardtimesleeping(insomnia).Thyroiddisease.Myxedemaisarareconditionwhereyourthyroiddoesn’tmakenearlyenoughhormoneandthelevelsgetdangerouslylow.Thiscancauseseveralproblems,fromseeingthingstofallingintoacoma.DiagnosisFirst,you’llgetaphysicalexamandtalkaboutyourhealthhistoryandsymptoms.Yourdoctormightaskquestionslike:Whatexactlyareyouseeing?Whendiditstart?Doesittendtohappenatcertaintimes,likeasyou’refallingasleep?Doyouhaveanyothersymptomswhenithappens?Iswhatyou’reseeingscary?Threatening?Pleasant?Thisusuallygivesyourdoctorclearcluesaboutwhatothertestsyoushouldget.Forexample,youmightneedtoseeapsychiatristtocheckforamentalillness.Yourdoctormayalsoordercertainbloodtests.Andyoumightgetan:Electroencephalogram(EEG),whichmeasureselectricalsignalsinyourbrain,tolookforsignsofepilepsyEyeexamtocheckforvisionproblemsMRItolookforabraintumorItallcomesdowntoyoursymptomsandwherethatpointsyou.TreatmentThecareyouneeddependsontheconditionthat’striggeringyourhallucinations.Inmanycases,ifyoucantreatthat,you’llstopseeingthings.Forexample,itmightbeaquickfixwhereyourdoctorjustneedstochangethedoseofamedicineortryadifferentdrug.Forsomethinglikeabraintumor,youmightgetchemotherapy,radiation,orsurgery.Withamentalillnesslikeschizophrenia,youmightneedamixofmedicine,therapy,andothercare.ScrollDownfortheNextArticleMSBrainFog?Tips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