Why do I hallucinate?

Hallucination; when you see, feel, hear, smell, or taste things that aren’t there, is a major issue that many face but do not understand the cause. Auditory hallucinations make you hear voices or sounds. Visual hallucinations make you see imaginary objects, or see real objects differently. Olfactory hallucinations cause odors that only you can smell and tactile hallucinations can make it seem like your skin is crawling with bugs. Gustatory hallucinations give you strange tastes in your mouth.

There are certain conditions that may cause hallucinations in many people, they include:

Migraine: This with aura causes you to see flashes of light or have blind spots or other vision changes. You might also feel numb or tingly in your hands and face. These symptoms usually happen about an hour before head pain. Experts think auras may be like an electrical or chemical wave across the vision part of your brain.

Brain tumor: Mental confusion is a common symptom. Brain tumors can lead to forgetfulness, speech problems, or mood shifts. They may also cause visual hallucinations. You might see things that aren’t there or act differently than you usually do.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome: This is  a disease that causes visual hallucinations in people with vision loss. Doctors think they may happen because your brain keeps processing images even though you can’t see. They go away once your vision comes back. If you’re permanently blind, you can learn ways to block the hallucinations with antipsychotic drugs might also help.

Sleep Disorders: Certain sleep conditions cause hallucinations. They’re typically visual hallucinations that happen as you are falling asleep or waking up. They are a lot like dreams but they seem more real.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): This, on rare occasions can cause auditory hallucinations. You might hear voices or a set of voices, or you may just have a ringing in your ears. You might also feel paranoid and suspicious of others.

Fever: Children sometimes hallucinate when they have high fevers. The hallucinations usually go away within a few minutes. Lowering the fever stops them.

Diabetes: You may start to hallucinate when your blood sugar is very high for a long time. If it’s over 600 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), you might have hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome. That’s a serious complication of diabetes that causes extreme thirst, fever, confusion, and hallucinations.

Schizophrenia: Hearing voices in your head is a common symptom. Around half of people with schizophrenia get them. Some people have visual hallucinations. Doctors are still learning what causes these symptoms. They think it may be a combination of changes in your brain, genetics, and your environment.

Parkinson’s disease: Over half of all people with this condition have hallucinations or delusions. It usually causes visual hallucinations. Experts think it might be because of changes in the brain from treatment or just the disease itself. It sometimes happens with other types of dementia, like Lewy body.

Alzheimer’s disease: The changes that happen to your brain when you have Alzheimer’s disease can lead to hallucinations. You may also feel paranoid, or think people are out to get you.

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