My husband (80) suffers from delusions. He always thinks that people are knocking on the door looking for him, and sometimes sees things that aren’t there. During a visit to the geriatrician it turned out that he has a neglected bladder infection. Our GP had not noticed this. How can that be – are delusions so unknown? And will the problems go away when the bladder infection is cured?
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
I actually think your GP has missed the point. If an older person gets confused, you should examine him as a doctor, and the urine is one of the first things you check. Cystitis is one of the most common causes of delirium in the elderly. Delirium is a state of confusion triggered by a physical illness. It can cause hallucinations (seeing, hearing, feeling or smelling things that are not there) and often thinking and orientation are disturbed (for example, you do not know where you are, what day it is and
whether it is morning or afternoon).
In the elderly, the brain gets out of balance more easily when something is physically wrong. If you’re confused by severe pneumonia, everyone will see that you’re sick, but a bladder infection can develop very gradually, so delirium may be the first sign of that bladder infection. If the bladder infection is treated and its patient
heals, the confusion should also be okay. However, delirium is a sign that the brain is easily disrupted. So it can easily come back in case of illness.
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