Charles Bonnet syndrome

DiagnosingCharles Bonnet syndrome

There isn't a specific test for Charles Bonnet syndrome. Doctors diagnose it by: talking to the person about their symptoms taking a detailed medical history in some cases, carrying out tests torule out other possible causes of hallucinations , such as Alzheimer's disease If a person has vision loss and they're experiencing simple or complex hallucinations and they don't have signs of dementia or mental illness, they probably have Charles Bonnet syndrome.

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Articles for charles bonnet syndrome

Introduction

Find out what Charles Bonnet syndrome is, who it affects, what causes it, how to manage it, plus the help and support available.

Types of hallucination

There are two main types of hallucination that people with Charles Bonnet syndrome tendto experience. They may see: simple repeated patterns complex images of people, objects or landscapes Simple

Who's affected and why?

Charles Bonnet syndrome affects people who've lost most or all of their eyesight. It's more likely to occur if vision loss affects both eyes. According to the Macular Society, up to half of all peop

What effect can hallucinations have?

Visual hallucinations are a normal response the brain has to the loss of vision. However, as Charles Bonnet syndrome isn't widely known, many people worry about what it means and fear they may be dev

DiagnosingCharles Bonnet syndrome

There isn't a specific test for Charles Bonnet syndrome. Doctors diagnose it by: talking to the person about their symptoms taking a detailed medical history in some cases, carrying out tests toru

Treating Charles Bonnet syndrome

There's currently no cure for Charles Bonnet syndrome. Simply understanding that the hallucinations are a normal consequence of vision loss, rather than a mental health problem,can be very reassuring

Help and support

If you have Charles Bonnet syndrome, talking about your hallucinations and how they make you feel may help you cope better. You could try talking to your family, friends, GP, optician, or ophthalmolog

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