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Suggest Treatment For Visual And Auditory Hallucinations
Question: My husband, age 68, was just diagnosed with sleep apnea and will start treatment next week. From reading, I think the apnea accounts for his short-term memory issues. However, he awoke from a nap about a year ago, and saw strange people in our yard. He still sees them in the woods and in the trees. No one else can see them and they are gone when he walks to where they are supposed to be. This is day and night. He also hears things---people walking on our roof and porches in the night time. I do not hear them. He has picked a person he had a run-in with to be the one walking on the roof & porches to taunt him. Can this also be related to the sleep apnea or does he probably have paranoid schizophrenia?
Brief Answer:
Sleep apnea can cause hallucinations.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I read carefully your query and understand your concerns.
If your husband is seeing and listening things that aren't really there ,then he is having visual and auditory hallucinations.
A very common cause for hallucinations is sleep deprivation,which affects the mind and the body.If he is not getting proper sleep, for some time ,he will feel irritable, overly tired, unable to concentrate, and will more than likely begin having hallucinations.
These symptoms can mimic those of mental illness like Sschizophrenia so this situation might be confusing.
In your husband case ,the cause for his sleep deprivation is his sleep apnea.
This can be the cause for his hallucinations.
Since he is starting the treatment for sleep apnea next week ,all you can do is to wait.
If his symptoms are due to Sleep apnea,they will go away once this condition is treated and your husband is sleeping well.
If they persist even after sleep apnea is resolved then he may need to consult a Psychiatrist for diagnosis.
You don't need to worry ,most likely his symptoms are due to sleep apnea and he will be just fine after the treatment.
Hope it was of help.
Let me know if you have other questions or doubt to clarify.I will be happy to assist you further.
Kind Regards!
Dr.Rovena Murati
Sleep apnea can cause hallucinations.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I read carefully your query and understand your concerns.
If your husband is seeing and listening things that aren't really there ,then he is having visual and auditory hallucinations.
A very common cause for hallucinations is sleep deprivation,which affects the mind and the body.If he is not getting proper sleep, for some time ,he will feel irritable, overly tired, unable to concentrate, and will more than likely begin having hallucinations.
These symptoms can mimic those of mental illness like Sschizophrenia so this situation might be confusing.
In your husband case ,the cause for his sleep deprivation is his sleep apnea.
This can be the cause for his hallucinations.
Since he is starting the treatment for sleep apnea next week ,all you can do is to wait.
If his symptoms are due to Sleep apnea,they will go away once this condition is treated and your husband is sleeping well.
If they persist even after sleep apnea is resolved then he may need to consult a Psychiatrist for diagnosis.
You don't need to worry ,most likely his symptoms are due to sleep apnea and he will be just fine after the treatment.
Hope it was of help.
Let me know if you have other questions or doubt to clarify.I will be happy to assist you further.
Kind Regards!
Dr.Rovena Murati
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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