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Wernicke Encephalopathy causes brain damage in the lower parts of the brain (thalamus and hypothalamus). This results in permanent damage to areas of the brain involved with memory causing psychosis. When a person is in the final stages of a wet brain, they will need 24/7 nursing care. Alcohol is a neurotoxin that shrinks the brain (a phenomenon known as “cerebral atrophy”) and slowly destroys the frontal lobe, cerebellum and limbic system. In many ways, end-stage alcohol dementia resembles end-stage Alzheimer’s disease and requires the same level of intensive medical support. Although Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome has a low prevalence of between 0.4 percent and nearly 3 percent, doctors believe this disease is frequently misdiagnosed or underreported.
- There are two main stages – Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s psychosis.
- About 50% of those who develop Wernicke encephalopathy eventually develop Korsakoff syndrome.
- The level of brain damage that occurs with wet brain is directly correlated to how much and how often someone drinks.
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- At this stage, a person with this condition might find it difficult to walk or become confused when engaging in daily activities such as getting dressed.
- If full-blown WKS is caught early enough, doctors will typically treat it with intense thiamine replacement therapy for approximately 5 days.
- Wet brain alcoholism actually starts in other organs—specifically, the liver and digestive tract.
A pregnant mother was advised to seek an abortion after she was diagnosed with brain cancer while carrying her child. Similarly, a study found that tangles of another protein – Tau, found within neurons and is linked to Alzheimer’s – might spread differently in women’s brains. If you or a loved one has symptoms of WKS, call your healthcare provider or 911 immediately. If you suffer from wet brain I hope you found value in this article and use it as a reference on your road to recovery.
How Common Is Wet Brain Syndrome
It’s important to understand that a vitamin B1 deficiency can occur for a number of reasons. However, there’s a strong link between Alcohol and thiamine deficiency. Physicians may check patients for signs of alcoholism by checking blood alcohol levels or testing liver functions.
To reduce the risk of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, limit the intake of alcohol and ensure that proper nutrition needs are met. Korsakoff’s psychosis (Korsakoff syndrome) often follows or accompanies Wernicke encephalopathy. One can https://ecosoberhouse.com/ prevent Wet brain by watching what you eat and taking vitamin supplements. In reality, Wernicke encephalopathy and Korsakoff psychosis are two different pathologies that constitute what is known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Alcohol and Gout: What’s the Relationship?
Alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb Vitamin B1, so people who binge drink on a regular basis or who consume large amounts of alcohol frequently may develop wet brain. Wet brain disease can shorten the lifespan of those who suffer from it. This disease and other alcohol-related diseases can reduce the lives of their sufferers by as much as 30 years.
Complicating matters further is that women have been subjected to much mixed messaging in recent years on the link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT), to help menopause symptoms, and dementia. One 2021 study indicated it could lead to a 73% reduction in dementia risk, while other research published in June suggested a link between HRT and dementia later in life. To think that Alzheimer’s what is mush brain – which, along with other forms of dementia, we think of as a later-life disease – could hit women thriving at midlife, is understandably alarming. But when you consider the latest demographic data about people with dementia, perhaps it shouldn’t be. Consider participating in a clinical trial so clinicians and scientists can learn more about Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and related disorders.
Diagnosis
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WKS MUST be treated urgently, else the symptoms cannot be reversed, and worse, the individual usually dies. The death rate for Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is about 10% to 20%. Alcohol inhibits the absorption of thiamine in the intestines, the primary part of the body where nutrients enter the bloodstream. An essential nutrient, vitamin B1 must be obtained by eating food containing thiamine, such as poultry, peas, brown rice, whole grains, and bread.