WKS can be divided into two stages or conditions: Wernicke’sencephalopathyand Korsakoff’s psychosis.
Wet brain is most commonly seen in people withalcohol use disorder.
When you drink excessively, it affects your body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
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This can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including a severe thiamine deficiency.
Your body needs thiamine for your brain and metabolism to function properly.
When severe, it can also be fatal.
Who Gets Wet Brain?
While anyone can develop the disorder, people who consume alcohol are more likely to develop the condition.
Research shows that wet brain is more likely to develop in men than women.
Characteristics of Wet Brain
Wet brain causes varying symptoms depending on the stage of your condition.
Wernicke’s Encephalopathy
The first stage of wet brain is typically severe but temporary.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy devolves into Korsakoff’s psychosis when wet brain goes undiagnosed and untreated.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy has three main features: confusion, vision changes, and difficulty with muscular coordination.
However, a person doesn’t have to exhibit all three for a diagnosis to be made.
Korsakoff’s Psychosis
Korsakoff’s psychosis occurs after Wernicke’s encephalopathy.
It’s persistent, chronic, and typically irreversible.
Symptoms of this stage of wet brain include impaired memory and learning abilities.
People with Korsakoff’s psychosis have increased difficulty with coordination and movement.
They will also exhibit symptoms of retrograde amnesia and find it challenging to learn and process new information.
People with Korsakoff’s psychosis experience memory loss and have difficulty forming new memories.
This is because many symptoms of wet brain are similar towithdrawal symptoms from alcohol.
Early diagnosis of wet brain is essential for effective treatment of the condition.
Your doctor will order tests to check your thiamine levels when attempting to diagnose wet brain.
They might also check for signs of alcohol use disorder which is the leading cause of wet brain.
A brain MRI to show if there has been any damage to tissues in your brain might be recommended.
What Causes Wet Brain?
Wet brain is resulting from a severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.
Thiamine is essential for converting sugar to energy in our bodies and creating chemical messengers in our brains.
Alcohol misuse also makes it hard for the body to convert and use the thiamine that it does absorb.
Treatment for Wet Brain
There is currently no cure for wet brain.
The first course of action?
Administering high doses of thiamine.
Because the brain is severely deficient in this vitamin, it is essential to begin restoring thiamine levels.
Coping With Wet Brain
Wet brain is a severe disorder that needs early diagnosis and adequate treatment.
In addition to your treatment plan, the following management techniques can help you make a full recovery.
Abstinence should persist even after making a full recovery from the condition.
Foods like oranges, milk, spinach, pork, and soybeans are all rich in thiamine.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
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National Institute on Drug Abuse.Sex and gender differences in substance use.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
National Library of Medicine.Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome.
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National Organization for Rare Disorders.Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
2023;11(3):193-200. doi:10.4103/sjmms.sjmms_416_22
National Library of Medicine.Thiamin.
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