This essential nutrient converts glucose (or sugar) into energy and supports the brain to make and send chemical messages. Humans need the thiamine ingested in a healthy diet (through poultry, nuts, whole grains, beans, vegetables etc.) to support cells, tissues, organs, and functioning. For those who’ve been diagnosed with the syndrome, the mush brain goal is improving symptoms and delaying disease progression. 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.
Treatment for Wet Brain
In addition, health, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity are all potentially linked and may all moderate the effects of alcohol, so careful consideration will be required to disentangle the effects of each. Relatedly, when relating volume effects to age, most studies do not correct for duration of drinking. Notably, the UK Biobank included only people with British ancestry, so addressing some of these questions may require new data collection.
Seeking Help for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
These parts of the brain regulate sleep, wakefulness and alertness, as well as body temperature, hunger, and metabolic processes. 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. 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. Other studies discovered that between 22 percent and 29 percent of people diagnosed with general dementia were alcoholics.
- This is because of vomiting, poor nutrition, and the digestive tract becoming inflamed.
- At this point, the drinker depends on alcohol to feel normal and may experience negative symptoms or feelings when they are not drinking.
- One challenge within this literature is the inconsistency in reporting and analysis of brain changes.
Support Your Recovery
Various treatment programs such as alcohol detox programs, inpatient or outpatient rehab, and support groups can significantly help in overcoming alcohol addiction. For individuals diagnosed with Wet Brain Syndrome, long-term management focuses on supporting cognitive and neurological health and preventing further complications. This includes continuous nutritional monitoring, supportive care, and cognitive rehabilitation. It usually takes several years of heavy drinking for onset to occur and also often results in behavioural changes and reduced emotional reactions (i.e. a person becoming apathetic). It’s a condition that causes permanent damage to the brain and brain functioning. “Mush brain,” “mush brain alcohol” and “wet brain” are unfamiliar terms to many people.
In most cases, symptoms of Korsakoff syndrome are preceded by symptoms of Wernicke encephalopathy. When an alcoholic suffers an acute lack of vitamin B1 too rapidly, the onset of Wernicke encephalopathy may be severe enough to demand emergency medical attention. Most people with Wernicke encephalopathy experience a progressive worsening of symptoms.
Focus on High-Risk Individuals
- This disease can cause extreme mind damage, impacting memory, muscle coordination, and cognitive abilities.
- If the alcoholic happens to stop drinking for any extended period, the autonomic nervous system causes the person’s heart rate to skyrocket.
- At United Recovery Project, we understand the importance of a supportive environment in the recovery journey.
- Confabulation occurs when you use stories to fill in gaps created by memory loss.
Left untreated, WKS will prove fatal in an estimated 20% of cases, while approximately 75% of wet brain patients will suffer permanent brain damage. This explains why individuals with wet brain syndrome have a variety of serious medical issues. 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.
The Link Between Alcohol Abuse and Wet Brain Syndrome
