Assisted Living – Best Brain Health – Alcohol
What happens when you drink heavily? Count on Assisted Living for the future. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is a serious issue for our parents who heavily imbibe now or were heavy drinkers earlier in their life. Basically Wernicke can level out but it does not completely go away. Korsakoff is the second part of a two part syndrome and it changes the gait of their walk and weakens them to the point that they are very wobbly and unstable while standing. This is when alcohol effects have really taken the body and this part rarely goes away. The syndrome together is the effect of alcohol damage to the brain and is terminal. Drinking does not cause it, however, excessive drinking over a prolonged time will be the cause. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome WKS and Korsakoff Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) is one name for 2 conditions that often happen together. Wernicke is encephalopathy and it is often accompanied by Korsakoff syndrome. It is thought to be different stages of the same disease. It typically comes on suddenly and immediate treatment is needed. Symptoms of Alcohol Symptoms include confusion, loss of muscle coordination, and trouble with vision. Korsakoff syndrome happens slowly. It is a long term, ongoing problem that damages the part of the brain that handles memory. How? A deficit of vitamin B1 or thiamine is the culprit. Thiamine or vitamin B1 helps the brain turn sugar to energy. When there is a deficit of this vitamin the brain does not function well. Alcohol use inhibits thiamine absorption, and heavy drinkers normally have poor dietary habits. It may have hereditary aspects as well but the most common presentation is a chronic alcoholic patient who is poorly nourished. WKS is typically associated with chronic alcoholism. Changes that occur may be subtle but knowing of them can help you recognize them: Lethargy Drowsiness Inattentiveness/indifference Mental confusion Vision problems Muscle weakness Muscle coordination issues, especially walking/gait Tremor Recent or short-term memory difficulties Exaggerated storytelling Agitation Compassionate Care As we age our condition does not improve as health and brain begin to decline we may need to seek proper care. Lancet Public Health has a study published suggesting that alcohol abuse addiction disorders are risk factors in the body for dementia, specifically early onset dementia. Compassionate and individualized care for individuals with Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is a must. Where can you find care for your loved one or plan for yourself because of past indulgences? What will alcohol abuse look like for me 50 years from now? Typically, WKS is treated as an Alzheimer’s issue. This will mean placement in an Alzheimer equipped Adult Community, Assisted Living or a Senior Living Community with Memory Care will be in the cards. More Symptoms of Alcohol More acute symptoms that may indicate the need for more immediate medical attention include rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, low body temperature, hallucinations, delirium, or stupor. Schedule an appointment if any of these symptoms are apparent and make sure that the family member has an advocate with them. Since alcoholism is, many times, an ism that is not shared with even those closest to the person experiencing it, it is essential that the truth is provided to the physician in order for the alcoholic to receive the proper care. Honesty will, quite possibly, be the difference in whether help is received and can save the person’s life. Withholding information can only make matters worse and result in shortening that person’s life. Diagnosis Diagnosis of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome requires a full medical history, including information regarding the person’s daily drinking habits, both past and present, and their dietary nutritional history. A physical examination to determine signs of malnutrition, lab work including blood count, electrolytes, and liver function tests. Test results can reflect alcoholism associated malnutrition or determine the level of thiamine. An MRI or CT scan may show enlarged ventricles and diencephalic lesions, shrunken mammillary bodies, and other changes to the brain. A referral by the psychiatrist or neurologist to a neuropsychologist is often necessary to quantify the degree of memory and other cognitive dysfunction and clarify the diagnosis. Physicians typically consult family, friends, and past medical records to get the most complete information possible on the person’s history with alcohol. Prognosis Treatment is critical and time sensitive. What happens when you drink? Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome for those who drink. If diagnosed and treated early, some or sometimes all symptoms can be reversed. Once it becomes chronic recovery is less certain. Stopping alcohol use and ensuring a nutritious diet may prevent additional brain and nerve damage. Memory function can be slow to improve and recovery is usually incomplete. In later stages, damage to the brain is more likely to be irreversible and individuals will most likely have lasting problems with memory and gait which can be presented as lack of muscle coordination and numbness or weakness in limbs. Without treatment Wernicke’s encephalopathy can be incapacitating and life-threatening causing death in 20% of patients. In 85% of survivors, it progresses to Korsakoff syndrome. If patient continues to use alcohol and follow a poor diet the condition and symptoms will worsen. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. We know everyone likes to Grok(AI) their symptoms but nothing can take the place of your personal physician for medical advice or diagnosis. Treatment Thiamine replacement therapy administered as soon as possible. Implementing consistent, good hydration and nutrition while abstaining from alcohol is the key. Resources for this article from our friends: The hero’s at ARK Behavioral Health – BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR RECOVERY WITH INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY AND COMPASSION More reading about Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome from Standard of Care!
Assisted Living – Best Brain Health – Alcohol and Aging
Alcoholism and Aging Alcoholism comes with many issues. It is wise to look at those who have traversed similar paths to us and plan accordingly for our future. In the case of Alcoholism, combined with Aging, we are honestly looking at a future in Memory Care type Assisted Living. Life Transitions regarding Alcoholism and Aging can cause senior challenges. High levels of alcohol in the body can result in headaches, severe dehydration, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and indigestion. Drinking excessively, even on a single occasion, increases a person’s risk of detrimental health effects. If threat of illness does not detour the consumption of alcohol think of what it does to your skin. Skin Alcohol dehydrates the skin, depriving it of the moisture and nutrients it needs to keep the complexion looking radiant, supple and youthful. Deprivation of moisture increases the appearance of wrinkles, dryness and sagging skin. Alcohol is a diuretic which means it actively draws water away from the body, significantly lowering the body’s water level causing dehydration. Dehydrated skin can look dry and unhealthy both in color and texture. It causes increased redness or flushing of the skin, acne, blotchiness, puffiness and rosacea. Women and Alcohol Women are more vulnerable than men to many of the medical consequences of alcohol use. Alcoholic women develop cirrhosis, alcohol induced damage of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) and nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) after fewer years of heavy drinking than do alcoholic men. Brain shrinkage is related to heavy drinking in both men and women. Alcohol Health Threats If the drinker is not worried about appearance and the fact that dementia is a real threat due to drinking; let’s delve into the other problems that it causes. To begin with drinking too much can weaken the immune system, making the body a much easier target for disease. Serious Over Drinkers: Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than those who do not drink too much. Occasional Over Drinkers: Drinking a lot on a single occasion slows the body’s ability to ward off infections – even up to 24 hours after getting drunk. Continuous Drinkers: Sustained over drinking is known to affect the brain, heart, liver, and pancreas. Extended use of excessive alcohol is known to cause certain types of cancer. Let’s look at this per organ and then we will talk about cancer. Brain: Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination. Heart: Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, causing problems including: Cardiomyopathy – stretching and drooping of heart muscle Arrhythmias – irregular heart beat Stroke High blood pressure Liver: Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including: Steatosis, or fatty liver Alcoholic hepatitis Fibrosis Cirrhosis Pancreas: Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion. I said that we would get to cancer; so here we are. Evidence indicates that the more alcohol a person drinks – particularly regularly over time- the higher his or her risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer. Even those who have no more than one drink per day and people who binge drink (those who consume 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men in one sitting: have a modestly increased risk of some cancers. Based on data from 2009, an estimated 3/5% of cancer deaths in the U.S. (about 19,500 deaths were alcohol related. Types of cancer cited: Head and neck cancer, including oral cavity, pharynx and larynx cancers. Esophageal cancer, particularly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, people who inherit a deficiency in an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol have been found to have substantially increased risks of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma if they consume alcohol. Liver cancer. Breast cancer: Studies have consistently found an increased risk of breast cancer in women with increasing alcohol intake. Women who consume about 1 drink per day have a 5 to 9 percent higher chance of developing breast cancer than women wo do not drink at all. Colorectal cancer. Drinkers Big Future: A real threat to the Alcoholic is something called Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) or referred to casually as “wet brain” is a severe, life-threatening brain disorder that is caused by excessive alcohol consumption. 57,000 people were studied with early-onset dementia in a database of hospital admissions by Translational Health Economics Network in France. Their data shows 39% of the 57K showed their early-onset dementia was directly caused by an alcohol abuse disorder. In addition to this statistic, 18% had a diagnosis of alcohol addiction alongside that type of dementia. So how do we plan? With dementia on the horizon, planning is necessary. We need to count on being in an Assisted Living Facility. Here are more resources to help you learn more regarding Life Transitions Alcoholism and Aging: National Library of Medicine (NLM) study of Alcoholism and Aging Life Transitions – Effects of age and life transitions on alcohol and drug treatment outcome over nine years National Library of Medicine (NLM) Facts on Seniors Aging with Alcoholism If this article raised concerns for you about This article is strictly for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis we will always suggest you talk to your professional personal care provider.
