Also, excessive alcohol use could cause the body to have trouble processing food items properly. So, even if individuals eat foods that have nutrients in them, it’s possible that their bodies will have a hard time extracting those vitamins and using them correctly. When a person drinks alcohol excessively, every day over a long period of time, their body chemistry https://ecosoberhouse.com/sober-house-boston/ changes in order to cope with and process the alcohol. For example, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver can result from the body’s inability to process large amounts of toxins from alcohol over time. For many people, it will take something such as a heart attack, chronic fatigue, a major depressive episode or a motor vehicle accident to re-assess things.
Korsakoff Psychosis
Those who struggle with alcohol use disorder, though, are at risk of thiamine deficiency. Instead of eating a balanced diet, many alcoholics drink their calories, depriving their bodies of essential vitamins. In other cases, an alcohol-induced inflammation of the stomach lining reduces the body’s ability to absorb vitamins. Wernicke’s encephalopathy affects the individual’s nervous system. Korsakoff syndrome is considered a cognitive disorder. A combination of Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome is diagnosed in alcoholics suffering a long-term, vitamin B deficiency and alcohol-induced damage to their brain.
Cognitive Impairment Problems with Korsakoff Psychosis
Mushy brain is a terribly common malady that all inhabitants of the 21st century need to be wary of. Our poor, overworked minds were simply not designed for the level of hyperstimulation that we now constantly encounter. If you’re diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, a doctor may recommend a corticosteroid or other medication to reduce inflammation or suppress the immune system. Your doctor may also conduct allergy testing to check for allergies or a sleep study to rule out a sleep disorder. According to a 2015 research review, people who have fibromyalgia may experience similar fogginess on a daily basis. C60 Power’s C60 avocado oil may help you fight free radicals and address oxidative stress in the body.
I’m In Recovery
Heart and nervous system cells are extremely sensitive to a thiamine deficiency. Congestive heart failure and extensive cognitive impairment (“mush brain”) are often the cause of alcoholics requiring long-term hospitalization or nursing home care. Stopping alcohol use can be difficult, but it is essential if you are at risk of developing wet brain or have experienced it before.
Wet Brain in Alcoholics
They can benefit from getting help before the syndrome sets in. There’s no certainty that an alcoholic will develop Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. It is, however, more likely to occur with long-term alcoholics who’ve failed to get treatment for their addiction. Besides, the onset of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and symptom severity is not considered to be a direct relation to how much or what kind of alcohol a person drinks over their lifetime. Genetics, preexisting conditions, and other factors help determine whether an alcoholic eventually develops this mush brain disease. “Mush brain,” “mush brain alcohol” and “wet brain” are unfamiliar terms to many people.
Quit drinking alcohol
- The symptoms of Wernicke encephalopathy are for the most part treatable through injections of vitamin B1.
- Studies have found that about four out of every 100 cases of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome were missed because the brain was not microscopically examined during an autopsy.
- Trial results would take at least three years, however.
- How life with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome continues depends on how severely someone is affected by the disease and wet brain symptoms.
- The flip side is that I do still have a brother and his family in NY and seeing him will be harder now.