Disorientation and confusion underpin most of the other sunset symptoms and behaviors. As the day draws to a close, people may become uncertain and confused about what is happening in their environment.
“For example, if a family member is preparing dinner, the patient may wonder, ‘What are these people doing?'” They understand the activities involved in preparing a meal. No,” Diaz said. They may also feel like they are in it. wrong place.
Because of this, they can become agitated and restless. “They might walk around, or they might sit in a chair and rock. Those things don’t allow them to relax in the field of view,” Crowell said.
They may become anxious, irritable, agitated, or aggressive. They may also have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, Diaz said. “Relatives may say they have observed the patient wandering around at night, as the patient does not sleep at night and his days and nights are reversed.”
“There are multiple forms of dementia, so symptoms manifest differently in each patient,” Diaz points out. For example, visual or auditory hallucinations are common in people with Lewy body dementia.
However, it’s important to learn how to differentiate between sundowning and delirium because the symptoms can be similar.
Delirium can mean that the person is experiencing a serious, even life-threatening condition, so it is essential to be able to identify its root cause. “Disorientation due to delirium” [may mean] The patient is in critical condition. “It could be a sign of a bad infection, sepsis, a severe sudden rise in blood pressure, very high blood sugar levels, or a stroke in older patients,” Diaz said.
The main way to distinguish between delirium and sunset is to remember that the latter usually occurs around sunset or at certain times of the day, whereas delirium can occur suddenly at any time of the day. Diaz explained.
“In most cases, delirium will go away if you identify the cause of the delirium and treat or control it,” he said. Sunset tends to recur, but there are ways to relieve symptoms if it does recur.
If you suspect your loved one is experiencing delirium, Crowell advised seeing your primary care physician or going to the emergency room “depending on the severity of the symptoms at the time.”
