Hallucinations are sensations that appear to be real but are created within the mind.

Examples include seeing things that are not

there, hearing voices or other sounds, experiencing body sensations like crawling feelings on the skin, or smelling odors that are not

there. Hallucinations can be a feature of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and are also very common in drug-induced

states and in drug withdrawal. This occurs with a number of different drugs. People who are seriously ill, such as those

with liver failure or kidney failure, can experience hallucinations. High fevers can also produce hallucinations in some people.

Hallucinations can accompany other psychotic symptoms such as delusionsand disconnection from reality. They can be temporary

or persist over the long term, depending upon the exact type of hallucinations and their cause.

REFERENCE:

What Are Hallucinations?

If you're like most folks, you probably think hallucinationshave to do with seeing things that aren't really there. But
there's a lot more to it than that. It could mean you touch or even smell something that doesn't exist.

There are many different causes. It could be a mental illness called schizophrenia or a nervous system problem
like Parkinson's disease.

If you or a loved one has a hallucination, you need to see a doctor. You can get treatments that help control them, but a
lot depends on what's behind the trouble.

How You Might Hallucinate

Hear voices. Your doctor may call this an "auditory hallucination." You may sense that the sounds are coming from
inside or outside your mind. You might hear the voices talking to each other or feel like they're telling you to do
something.

See things. This is also known as a "visual hallucination." For example, you might see insects crawling on your hand or
on the face of someone you know.

YOU MIGHT LIKE

Smell things. The technical name for this is "olfactory hallucination." You may think the odor is coming from something
around you, or that it's coming from your own body.

Taste things. These are called "gustatory hallucinations." You may feel that something you eat or drink has an odd
taste.

Feel things. Doctors call this a "tactile hallucination." It might seem to you that you're being tickled even when no one
else is around, or you may have a sense that insects are crawling on or under your skin. You might feel a blast of hot air
on your face that isn't real.

Sometimes they look like flashes of light. A rare type of seizure called "occipital" may cause you to see brightly colored
spots or shapes.

C O N TI N U E R EA D I N G B E L O W
 What Causes Hallucinations?

Schizophrenia . More than 70% of people with this illness get visual hallucinations, and 60%-90% hear voices. But
some may also smell and taste things that aren't there.

Parkinson's disease . Up to half of people who have this condition sometimes see things that aren't there.

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia . They cause changes in the brain that can bring on
hallucinations. It may be more likely to happen when your disease is more advanced.

 How You Might Hallucinate

 What Causes Hallucinations?

 What’s the Treatment?

CONTINUED
Migraines . About a third of people with this kind of headache also have an "aura," a type of visual hallucination. It can
look like a multicolored crescent of light.

Brain tumor . Depending on where it is, it can cause different types of hallucinations. If it's in an area that has to do
with vision, you may see things that aren't real. You might also see spots or shapes of light.

Tumors in some parts of the brain can cause hallucinations of smell and taste.

Charles Bonnet syndrome. This condition causes people with visionproblems like macular degeneration, glaucoma,
or cataracts to see things. At first, you may not realize it's a hallucination, but eventually, you figure out that what you're
seeing isn't real.

Epilepsy . The seizures that go along with this disorder can make you more likely to have hallucinations. The type you
get depends on which part of your brain the seizure affects.

What’s the Treatment?

First, your doctor needs to find out what's causing your hallucinations. He'll take your medical history and do a physical
exam. He'll ask about your symptoms.

ou may need tests to help identify the problem. For instance, an EEG, or electroencephalogram, checks for unusual
patterns of electrical activity in your brain. It could show if your hallucinations are due to seizures.

You might get an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, which uses powerful magnets and radio waves to make pictures
of structures inside your body. It can find out if a brain tumor or something else, like an area that's had a small stroke,
could be causing your hallucinations.

Your doctor will treat the condition that's causing the hallucinations. The treatment can include things like:

Your doctor will treat the condition that's causing the hallucinations. The treatment can include things like:

 Medication for schizophrenia or dementias such as Alzheimer's disease

 Antiseizure drugs to treat epilepsy
 Treatment for macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts
 Surgery or radiation to treat tumors
 Drugs called triptans, beta-blockers, or anticonvulsants for people with migraines
 Your doctor may prescribe pimavanserin (Nuplazid). This medicine has been effective in treating hallucinations
and delusions linked to psychosis that affects some people with Parkinson’s disease.
 Sessions with a therapist can also help. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on changes in
thinking and behavior, helps some people manage their symptoms better.
Annual Physical Exam: The Basics

The physical exam is an essential part of any doctor's visit. Surprisingly, though, there are no absolutes in a routine
physical. A good doctor may be thorough or brief, but he or she will spend time listening to your concerns and providing
counseling for your particular needs.

Annual exams usually check your:

History. This is your chance to mention any complaints or concerns about your health. Your doctor will also likely quiz
you about lifestyle behaviors like smoking, excessive alcohol use, sexual health, diet, and exercise. The doctor will also
check on your vaccination status and update your personal and family medical history.

Vital Signs. These are some vital signs checked by your doctor:

 Blood pressure: Less than 120 over less than 80 is a normal blood pressure. Doctors define high blood
pressure(hypertension) as 130 over 80 or higher.
 Heart rate: Values between 60 and 100 are considered normal. Many healthy people have heart rates slower
than 60, however.
 Respiration rate: From 12 to 16 breaths per minute is normal for a healthy adult. Breathing more than 20 times
per minute can suggest heart or lung problems.
 Temperature: 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average, but healthy people can have resting temperatures
slightly higher or lower.

General Appearance. Your doctor gathers a large amount of information about you and your health just by watching
and talking to you. How is your memory and mental quickness? Does your skinappear healthy? Can you easily stand and
walk?

Heart Exam. Listening to your heart with a stethoscope, a doctor might detect an irregular heartbeat, a heart murmur,
or other clues to heart disease.

Lung Exam. Using a stethoscope, a doctor listens for crackles, wheezes, or decreased breath sounds. These and other
sounds are clues to the presence of heart or lung disease.

Head and Neck Exam. Opening up and saying "ah" shows off your throat and tonsils. The quality of your teeth and
gums also provides information about your overall health. Ears, nose, sinuses, eyes, lymph nodes, thyroid, and
carotid arteries may also be examined.

Abdominal Exam. Your doctor can use a range of examination techniques including tapping your abdomen to
detect liver size and presence of abdominal fluid, listening for bowel sounds with a stethoscope, and palpating for
tenderness.

Neurological Exam. Nerves, muscle strength, reflexes, balance, and mental state may be assessed.

Dermatological Exam. Skin and nail findings could indicate a dermatological problem or disease somewhere else in the
body.

Extremities Exam. Your doctor will look for physical and sensory changes. Pulses can be checked in your arms and legs. Examining joints can
assess for abnormalities.

Male Physical Exam

An annual physical exam for men might also include:

 Testicular exam: A doctor can check each testicle for lumps, tenderness, or changes in size. Most men with testicular cancernotice a
growth before seeing a doctor.
  Hernia exam: The famous "turn your head and cough" checks for a weakness in the abdominal wall between
the intestinesand scrotum.
 Penis exam: A doctor might notice evidence of sexually transmitted infections such as warts or ulcers on
the penis.
 Prostate exam: Inserting a finger in the rectum lets a doctor feel the prostate for its size and any suspicious
areas.

Laboratory Tests

There are no standard laboratory tests during an annual physical. However, some doctors will order certain tests
routinely:

 Complete blood count

 Chemistry panel
 Urinalysis (UA)
 A screening lipid panel (cholesterol test) is recommended every 4 to 6 years, according to the American Heart
Association. Your doctor might check more frequently if you have risk factors for heart disease.
Abnormal cholesterol levels increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.
 If you are overweight or have any risk factors for diabetes, your blood sugar will likely be checked. The
American Diabetes Association recommends that all adults, beginning at age 45, should be tested for diabetes -
- regardless of weight.

HEARING VOICES AND HALLUCINATIONS

People can experience hallucinations when they're high on illegal drugs such asamphetamines, cocaine, LSD or ecstasy. They
can also occur during withdrawal from alcohol or drugs if you suddenly stop taking them. Drug-induced hallucinations are usually
visual, but they may affect other senses.

medication

Various prescription medicines can occasionally cause hallucinations. Elderly people may be at particular risk.

Hallucinations caused by medication can be dose-related and they usually stop when you stop taking the medicine. However, never stop
taking a medication without speaking to your doctor first and, if necessary, after being assessed by a psychiatrist.

Speak to your GP about how the medication is affecting you, so you can discuss the possibility of switching to another medicine.

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Some of the most common causes of visual impairment include:

 age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – where the central part of the back of the eye (the macula, which plays an important role in
central vision) stops working properly

 cataracts – when changes in the lens of the eye cause it to become less transparent (clear)

 glaucoma – where fluid builds up inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve (which relays information from the eye to the brain)

 diabetic retinopathy – where blood vessels that supply the eye become damaged from a build-up of glucose
Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there can be a part of normal development, but they may also happen as a result of the following:

 When a youngster is under severe emotional stress

Children coping with the death of a parent or dealing with lots of stressors in their lives will sometimes hear voices or see things.
 Certain physical illnesses
Examples may include migraines, seizures, infections, a very high fever, and problems with the thyroid or adrenal glands.
 Adverse effects of medication
The use of certain medications, such as steroids or pain medicine, can cause hallucinations under rare circumstances. Many other
medications can also lead to hallucinations when used in higher doses than prescribed or recommended. Illegal drugs such as alcohol,
marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and LSD are a frequent cause of hallucinations.
 Nonpsychotic psychiatric illnesses
Children who hear voices telling them to do bad things often have behavior problems. Voices that refer to suicide or dying may occur
in children who are depressed. The content of a hallucination may help us understand what type of illness a child is having. Children
who see things that are not there may be very anxious or depressed.

Psychotic illnesses
This includes schizophrenia, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, and bipolar disorder with psychotic features. In
addition to hallucinations, psychotic illnesses are characterized by delusions, disorganized and/or bizarre behavior, and moods that
don't correspond with what is going on in someone's life. Children may show social withdrawal and inappropriate and unusual use of
language. Looking for these symptoms can be very helpful in telling the difference between psychotic and nonpsychotic illnesses.
What should you do if you are worried about your child hearing voices or seeing things?

Talk to your child and try to clarify what he is experiencing. Consider how your child is doing in all areas of his life such as at school, with
friends, in the neighborhood, and with family. Any child with disordered thinking or behavior should be evaluated immediately. If you are
concerned, speak with your family physician or pediatrician. They may be able to help or will be able to refer you to a child and adolescent
psychiatrist who is trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat children with emotional and behavior problems.