Alcohol starts to injure the brain once it reaches the bloodstream.
Excessive drinking:
- Causes the liver not to screen alcohol quickly enough, causing abrupt brain changes
- Reduces the efficacy of neurotransmitters
- Causes the destruction of brain cells and the contraction of brain tissue
- Causes nutritional deficiency, affecting brain function
Several factors identify the detailed effects of alcohol on the nervous system; including physical fitness, the amount of alcohol consumed, and liver function.
What is Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (ARBD)?
Alcohol-Related Brain Damage, or ARBD, is a type of brain disorder caused by alcohol consumption.
Brain shrinkage caused by alcohol abuse is permanent, as alcohol kills brain cells and grey matter.
Memory Loss
Memory loss, also known as a blackout, is not remembering key facts or events because of binge drinking.
Blackouts are a side effect of acute overdose, irrespective of age or alcohol addiction.
Regardless of alcohol consumption, females tend to have more blackouts than males due to differences in digesting alcohol.
Long- Term Effects Of Alcoholism
Wernicke-Korsakoff Condition
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a disorder that consists of two different syndromes:
- Wernicke’s encephalopathy - a short-term and reversible illness
- Korsakoff’s syndrome - a long-term and irreversible condition
Wernicke's encephalopathy is a disease caused by a lack of vitamin B1, or thiamine that occurs during drinking, causing brain injury as the cerebellum shrinks.
If left untreated, Wernicke's encephalopathy develops into Korsakoff syndrome.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy symptoms are:
- Long-term uncertainty and disorientation after heavy drinking
- Malnutrition causing weight loss
- Facial gestures that are jerky or difficult to control
- Poor balance and coordination
- High blood pressure
- Numbness and inflammation in the hands and feet
After Wernicke’s encephalopathy, an individual can develop Korsakoff syndrome, where brain damage is permanent.
Symptoms of Korsakoff Syndrome:
- Memory issues - particularly difficulties developing new memories
- Poor judgment
- Mood swings
- Personality changes
- Hallucinations
- A gradual loss in cognitive capacity
- Slurred speech
- Poor mental health
- Erratic eye movements
Korsakoff syndrome is irreversible, and life-threatening.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
When the developing baby is exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, foetal alcohol spectrum conditions, also known as foetal alcohol syndrome, occur.
Symptoms of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome:
- Intellectual disabilities
- Poor memory
- Trouble concentrating
- Hyperactivity
- Vision problems
- Hearing issues
- Weak coordination
Risk Factors Of Alcoholic Brain Damage
People who drink alcohol in their midlives are likely to experience alcoholic dementia, according to a 2018 survey that tracked 9,087 participants for 23 years.
Those who drank fourteen or fewer alcoholic drinks a week had the lowest chance of dementia.
Dietary Guidelines and Requirements for Americans in the United States, 2015–2020 suggest women should not have more than 1 one drink a day, and men shouldn’t have higher in two drinks in a day.
Do not attempt to lower excessive alcohol use without speaking with a medical professional, particularly if there are concerns about the effect of alcohol on the brain.
