Charles Bonnet syndrome is a condition that usually occurs in people who lose their sight totally or partially and is characterized by the appearance of complex visual hallucinations, which are more frequent on waking, and can last from a few minutes to hours, leading to person to be confused and have difficulty, in some cases, in being able to understand whether these hallucinations are real or not.
Hallucinations occur in elderly and psychologically normal people are generally related to geometric shapes, people, animals, insects, landscapes, buildings or repeated patterns, for example, which can be colored or in black and white.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome has no cure and it is not yet clear why these hallucinations arise in people with vision problems. Since it causes hallucinations, many people with these types of changes usually seek help from a psychologist, but ideally, the syndrome should be treated with guidance from an ophthalmologist.
What symptoms
The symptoms that can appear in people with Charles Bonnet Syndrome are the appearance of hallucinations of geometric shapes, people, animals, insects, landscapes or buildings, for example, which can last from a few minutes to hours.
What is the diagnosis
Usually the diagnosis consists of a physical evaluation and a dialogue with the patient, to describe the hallucinations. In some cases, an MRI scan may be performed which, in the case of a person suffering from Charles Bonnet Syndrome, allows the exclusion of other neurological problems that also have hallucinations as a symptom.
How the treatment is done
There is still no cure for this syndrome, but treatment can provide a better quality of life. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe medications, such as those used to treat epilepsy, such as valproic acid, or Parkinson's disease.
In addition, when the person is hallucinating, they must change their position, move their eyes, stimulate other senses, such as hearing, through music or audiobooks and reduce stress and anxiety.
