Have you ever looked down and thought your hand was huge? Or have you ever seen the floor under your feet go on forever? People who have Alice in Wonderland Syndrome go through these strange things all the time.
This rare neurological disease, named after Lewis Carroll’s famous story in which Alice grows and shrinks, changes how people see things suddenly and in strange ways. With Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS), things like seeing things differently, losing track of time, or feeling separate from one’s body can make reality seem like a dream.
What Is Alice in Wonderland Syndrome?
Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS), also known as Todd’s syndrome or dysmetropsia, is a neurological disorder that causes distortions in perception, particularly of size and shape, according to Wikipedia. It affects the way people see their bodies, their surroundings, and even time. People with this condition might feel like their hands are getting bigger, the walls are warping, or words are far away even though they are close.
Children and young teens are most likely to have this trait, but adults can also. The episodes are usually short bursts that last between a few minutes and two hours. Anxiety, headaches, or seizures are common causes of Alice in Wonderland syndrome.
Symptoms and Causes
Body perception distortions and visual misperceptions are the two main signs of AIWS. Common symptoms include:
- Self-perception changes: You may feel like parts of your body, like your hands or head, are getting bigger or smaller. Micropsia or macropsia is the name for this growth.
- Altered time perception: Time may go by much faster or slower.
- Disconnection from reality: Depersonalisation means that you may feel like you’re watching yourself from outside your body, and derealisation implies that the world around you doesn’t seem real.
- Distortions of vision: Things may appear bigger (macropsia), smaller (micropsia), closer (pelopsia), or farther away (teleopsia) than they are. Lilliputian illusions are a type of delusion in which people say they see tiny people or distorted shapes.
Okay, so what is the leading cause of Alice in Wonderland syndrome? Here explore alice in wonderland syndrome cause:
- Headaches (especially ones with an aura)
- Viruses like the flu, Epstein-Barr virus, or mononucleosis
- Brain damage or blows to the head
- Having seizures or epilepsy
- Medicines can have side effects, especially seizures or mental drugs
- Using drugs that cause hallucinations or for fun
- Diseases of the mind, like schizophrenia or anxiety
- Neurological problems like encephalitis or even brain tumours (rarely)
These triggers can cause the strange symptoms of this Alice in Wonderland condition, but they can do so in different ways for different people.
Diagnosis
Identifying Alice in Wonderland can be difficult because it is rare and strange. An Alice in Wonderland diagnosis is typically based on a patient’s description of visual and perceptual distortions, as there are no specific medical tests to confirm the condition. Here’s a list of diagnosis:
- Complete medical history: The doctor will ask about specific symptoms, how often they happen, and if there are any trends.
- Neurological exam: coordination, balance, and reaction tests help determine if the brain is working right.
- Brain imaging: MRI or CT scans can help find problems like tumours or sores in the brain.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG): This test measures brain waves and is very good at finding seizure activity.
- Blood tests or spinal tap: If you have an AIW syndrome, blood tests or a spinal tap can help find infections or inflammatory reasons.
How to Treat
There is no known way to cure Alice in Wonderland Syndrome at this time. Some treatment options are:
- Medications, staying hydrated, and controlling sleep can help avoid and treat migraines.
- Antiviral drugs for when you get a virus like the flu or EBV.
- Anti-seizure drugs if there are seizures.
- Drugs that may be causing side effects are being changed or stopped.
- If it has to do with mental health problems, therapy or psychiatric help.
- Regular check-ins with neurologists or mental health workers to see how things are going.
Read More: All You Need to Know About Nephrotic Syndrome
Conclusion
Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is a real and disorienting disease that temporarily changes how someone sees the world. It is rare, but it does exist. People who have the alice in wonderland disorder often have sudden changes in how they see time, space, and size, which can make the world seem like a dream or even scary.
