Experiencing Wernicke Korsakoffs Succesfully
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 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. Korsakoff’s psychosis is characterized by anterograde amnesia which is the inability to form new memories, the loss of existing memories which is retrograde amnesia, confabulation, or false perceptions or memories, as well as hallucinations.
Malnutrition
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.
Memory Loss
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. Some may really believe that the date is actually ten years off because that’s all they remember.
What To Do
Treatment for Wernicke Korsakoffs includes the cessation of alcohol intake. It also 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.
Alcohol and alcohol abuse can have devastating effects on the afflicted as well as the family of friends of those suffering from an alcohol addiction. In addition to issues with the liver, there are also other severe conditions that can develop as a result of alcohol abuse. Wernicke Korsakoffs is one of these conditions. Although found in extremely malnourished alcoholics it can be found in anyone chronically abusing alcohol. This is why it is imperative that anyone suffering from an addiction to alcohol seek out an alcohol detox drug treatment center to get the help they need and prevent syndromes such as Wernicke-Korsakoffs.