Wet Brain: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

The best way to find out if you have wet brain or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is to see a doctor. Your doctor can provide an accurate diagnosis and help you find treatment for alcohol addiction once your physical health has recovered. People who use alcohol heavily over a prolonged period of time are most at risk of developing wet brain. Heavy alcohol use is defined as drinking more than four drinks in one day or more than fourteen drinks in one week in men. For women, heavy alcohol use is considered drinking more than three drinks in one day or more than seven drinks in a week.

• Take the first step toward recovery, and speak with a representative of The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake today.
• Wernicke’s encephalopathy is the initial stage and is defined by the development of neurological symptoms due to the brain suffering from lesions formed from a lack of adequate thiamine (vitamin B1).
• Continued medical and nutritional support plays a large role in improving the quality of life for those affected by wet brain.
• Excessive alcohol use and alcohol addiction can affect essentially every aspect of a person’s life.

The Two Stages of Wet Brain

Fortunately, there are many strategies and lifestyle adjustments that can help alleviate the symptoms of brain fog and provide the mental clarity you need to improve your quality of life. If thiamine is given in these initial Sober living house stages, wet brain can be quickly reversed. As the condition progresses, however, the inflammation leads to permanent damage. Regarding brain fog and COVID-19, new research shows that brain fog is a result of the virus living in your gut after infection symptoms resolve.

Seeking Help for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

Brain fog is common, and a provider can help you find out what’s causing your symptoms. Even if a person is diagnosed with wet brain, it may still be very difficult for them to abstain from consuming alcohol. This is especially true if the person is addicted to alcohol or physically dependent on it, which can be difficult for friends and family members to accept.

Anxiety and Depression

Other researchers, however, believe the two conditions are actually different stages of the same syndrome. In this case, Wernicke syndrome is the initial, acute, shorter phase with more serious symptoms. Have you ever experienced the feeling of brain fog, where you could barely remember anything, or you found it hard to concentrate on a task? These weird feelings can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or lifestyle. This article will explore what brain fog is, the possible causes, and 7 warning signs brain is mush meaning that you shouldn’t ignore that fuzzy feeling in your head. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome can occur from reasons other than alcohol use; however, the term “wet brain” is used to refer only to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome caused by alcohol use.

Excessive alcohol use and alcohol addiction can affect essentially every aspect of a person’s life. It can affect the brain, heart, liver, and pancreas, and put a person at a higher risk of certain cancers, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Often, when a person doesn’t receive treatment for wet brain, Wernicke’s disease can develop into Korsakoff’s psychosis. Alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction can be linked to various types of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular Dementia, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Wernicke-Korsakoff (WK) syndrome involves two brain disorders that most commonly occur together, which are Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s psychosis.

Is Wet Brain a Disability?

Your provider will also discuss any side effects to look out for while you’re taking a new medication. Not all alcoholics get dementia, however, excessive alcohol consumption can impact the brain and may put a person at a higher risk of developing dementia. However, once a person is in the end stages of wet brain, or once it has developed into Korsakoff’s psychosis, the damage done to the brain is not reversible. If a person is in the end stages of alcoholism, the life expectancy of a person with wet brain can be as little as six months. The first stage of wet brain is Wernicke’s encephalopathy, followed by Korsakoff’s psychosis.

Disorders

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), sometimes called wet brain, is a brain disorder caused by a severe lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine). This condition happens in both short-term and long-term stages of the deficiency. 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. It is also possible that genetics can play a role in the extent of brain damage from alcoholism.

• Confabulation, sometimes called “honest lying,” is a neuropsychiatric disorder in which an individual creates a false memory without intending to be deceitful.
• Yes, wet brain is a form of dementia caused by alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder.
• For those who’ve been diagnosed with the syndrome, the goal is improving symptoms and delaying disease progression.
• In the early stages, specifically during Wernicke’s encephalopathy, there is potential for reversal if the condition is quickly identified and treated with high doses of thiamine.

Brain Fog: What Clears a Cloudy Head Feeling?

Studies have found that 80 to 90 percent of people who have Wernicke syndrome go on to develop Korsakoff syndrome. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome occurs in about 1 to 2 percent of the general population in the United States. The condition occurs slightly more in males than it does in females, and it occurs evenly across the population of people aged 30 to 70. The reversibility of wet brain, also known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, largely depends on the stage at which it is diagnosed and treated. Contact Nova Recovery Center today for more information on our individualized drug and alcohol addiction recovery program. But when anxiety operates underground—when it’s the soup you’re swimming around in—it’s easy to confuse the signs and symptoms of anxiety with your essential YOU.