Alcohol It’s Link To Wernicke Korsakoffs

by Bridget on April 13, 2012

Many people struggle with alcoholism every day of their lives. Alcohol abuse affects millions of people in America every year. If someone is struggling with an addiction to alcohol, it is advised that they go to an alcohol detox drug treatment center as soon as they can. With proper care, a person will be able to rid their body of alcohol and take their lives back. Without a proper medical intervention, it is highly unlikely that an individual will be able to quit drinking on their own. This is why medical intervention is so incredibly important. By choosing to go to a residential rehab facility, a person who is struggling with a drinking problem will be able to get the help they need.

Wet Brain 

Wernicke Korsakoffs is also known as wet brain, Korsakoffs psychosis, Wernicke’s disease and encephalopathy. This disease occurs due to a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is vitamin B1 or beriberi. This is due to alcohol abuse as well as severe malnutrition. Wernicke Korsakoffs greatly affects the memory as well as vision.  This condition is the conglomeration of both diseases.

Description

Wernicke-Korsakoffs is the syndrome that is the combination of both the Korsakoffs psychosis disorder and Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Wernicke’s encephalopathy is characterized as confusion, involuntary eye movement; impaired eye movement, ataxia, sluggish papillary reactions, coma and sudden death are possible if left untreated.

Thiamine

Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome is normally found in those who are classified as chronic alcoholics. It is a result of a thiamine deficiency. Wernicke’s occurs first and then Korsakoffs follows. It can also be brought about following severe malnutrition. When it occurs in alcoholics it is attributed to the infarction or atrophy of specific regions of the brain, most notably the mamillary bodies. Other effected areas include the thalamus which causes the amnesic symptoms, as well as the medial dorsal thalamus, the raphe nuclei, and the basal forebrain.

Signs

The symptoms of this syndrome will include muscular issues, involuntary eye movements, confabulation regarding questioning, memory issues, and an individual suffering from this co-morbid disorder may avoid sunlight. They may prefer to spend their time in dark rooms. In terms of memory, short term memory may be affected severely, and often only long term memory is recalled, however it depends on when the degeneration began.

What To Do

Treatment for this ailment consists of reversing the thiamine deficiency that has caused the disorder. This is done by giving supplemental thiamine. This is more often than not done with an initial IV dose or an intramuscular dose which is then followed by oral doses. However, it is important to note that once amnesia and psychosis have developed a complete and full recovery is very unlikely.

Getting help for an addiction to alcohol is something that anyone who lives with alcoholism must do. By going to a quality alcohol detox drug treatment center, a person who has a drinking problem will be able to get the medical care they desperately need. Without the help of a medical intervention, it is highly improbable that a person with alcoholism will be able to stop drinking on their own. There are many wonderful treatment centers around the country that can help an individual who is struggling with an alcohol problem get the help they need.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: