Site Map

Confusion

Disorientation; Thinking - unclear; Thoughts - cloudy; Altered mental status - confusion

Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions.

Images

Brain

I Would Like to Learn About:

Considerations

Confusion may come on quickly or slowly over time, depending on the cause. Many times, confusion lasts for a short time and goes away. Other times, it is permanent and not curable. It may be associated with delirium or dementia.

Confusion is more common in older people and often occurs during a hospital stay.

Some confused people may have strange or unusual behavior or may act aggressively.

Causes

Confusion may be caused by different health problems, such as:

Home Care

A good way to find out if someone is confused is to ask the person his or her name, age, and the date. If they are unsure or answer incorrectly, they are confused.

If the person does not usually have confusion, contact a health care provider.

A confused person should not be left alone. For safety, the person may need someone nearby to calm them and protect them from injury. Rarely, physical restraints may be ordered by a health care professional.

To help a confused person:

For sudden confusion due to low blood sugar (for example, from diabetes medicine), the person should drink a sweet drink or eat a sweet snack. If the confusion lasts longer than 10 minutes, contact the provider.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call 911 or the local emergency number if confusion has come on suddenly or there are other symptoms, such as:

Also call 911 or the local emergency number if:

If you have been experiencing confusion, contact your provider for an appointment.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

The doctor will do a physical examination and ask questions about the confusion. The doctor will ask questions to learn if the person knows the date, the time, and where he or she is. Questions about recent and ongoing illness, among other questions, will also be asked.

Tests that may be ordered include:

Treatment depends on the cause of the confusion. For example, if an infection is causing the confusion, treating the infection will likely clear the confusion.

Related Information

Concussion in adults - what to ask your doctor
Concussion in children - what to ask your doctor
Dementia - what to ask your doctor

References

Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW. Mental status. In: Ball JW, Dains JE, Flynn JA, Solomon BS, Stewart RW, eds. Siedel's Guide to Physical Examination. 10th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 7.

Maciel CB, Elie-Turenne M-C. Seizures. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 14.

Mendez MF, Yerstein O. Delirium. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 4.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 3/31/2024  

Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

ADAM Quality Logo
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.