Vision loss from Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) or other causes is known to cause some
people to see faces or shapes that aren't really there. But a new study suggests these hallucinations, known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome, affect many more people with AMD than
previously thought. More than 12% of people with AMD experience visual
hallucinations, the study found. The actual number may be even higher. On
average, people experience these hallucinations on and off for about 3 years.
Those who experience hallucinations tend to see multiple types of images,
particularly people and faces. Many people keep quiet about these phantom
images for fear they'll be labeled with dementia or a psychiatric condition.
Their hesitancy to speak up could explain why hallucinations were thought to be
relatively uncommon until now.
Why
Do People with Macular Degeneration Have Hallucinations
Hallucinations in people with vision loss do not
stem from neurological problems. Rather, they occur when brain craves new
images to process. Finding none (due to vision loss), the brain resorts to
making up images or recalling images from memory.
These phantom images may be simple lines, shapes, flashes of light or more
complex images of faces, people or animals. They can occur at any time and last
for seconds, minutes or hours. Sometimes the images remain still, other times
they move around. People with significant vision loss, especially loss of
central vision, are most often affected.
How to Deal with Visual Hallucinations
There is no cure or treatment
for Charles Bonnet Syndrome,
but there are strategies to stave off episodes and cope with hallucinations
that occur. If you feel you are seeing things that aren’t really there, reach
out to your doctor. They will rule out other causes of visual hallucinations
like neurological conditions or medication-related side effects. If your doctor
thinks you have Charles Bonnet Syndrome, they will give you techniques to
manage the hallucinations. These include:
- Changing Your Lighting Conditions and Environment
- Blinking Frequently or Moving Your Eyes Side-to-Side
- Sleeping, Exercising and/or Relaxing, as Fatigue and Stress
can Exacerbate Hallucinations
If you have AMD and experience visual hallucinations please call us at D’Ambrosio Eye Care, or Facebook so that we can help.
D'Ambrosio
Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and
western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike,
Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster,
Massachusetts 01453, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main
Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331, 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts
01440 and 255 Park Avenue, Suite 606, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609.
