Systematic excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages affects not only the health of the liver. There is a whole complex of concurrent diseases, which is called alcoholic encephalopathy and develops most intensively in the last stages of dependence. This syndrome combines both neurological and somatic symptoms.
Alcohol toxicity encephalopathy of the brain
The considered pathology is in fact several diseases that occur simultaneously within the framework of a single clinical syndrome, which can occur in acute and chronic form. It includes disorders of the nervous, digestive and autonomic systems, cardiovascular activities and functional disabilities of the brain.
Alcohol encephalopathy is observed at 2 (at the end) or 3 stages of dependence, the period of daily consumption of alcoholic beverages is from 6 to 20 years, although in women this disease can develop much earlier due to the characteristics of the body and hormonal background. It should be noted that in the group of the greatest risk are people who use substandard alcoholic surrogates.
Alcoholic encephalopathy - symptoms
The main sign of this disease - a violation in the body of metabolic processes, in which ceases to produce thiamine (vitamin B1), providing a carbohydrate balance. As a consequence, the brain suffers from a lack of energy resources.
The main symptoms are:
- nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, loss of appetite;
- violation of intestinal motility;
- strong weight loss;
- general weakness in combination with chills;
- convulsions;
- persistent sleep disturbance;
- heart palpitations, arrhythmia;
- sweating , dizziness, feeling of lack of air;
- exhaustion;
- edema of the brain;
- liver damage;
- increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees;
- coma.
Acute and chronic alcoholic encephalopathy - treatment
In an acute form, also called hemorrhagic encephalopathy, Gaye-Wernicke, is an urgent clinical condition requiring urgent hospitalization in the intensive care unit, since it foretells whom. In the course of treatment, first of all, it is necessary to achieve stabilization of metabolic processes in the patient's body. Complex therapy scheme:
- large doses of B vitamins, vitamins C and P;
- increase in the amount of fluid consumed (the daily volume of water drunk should exceed the volume of urine output);
- tranquilizers, adrenalytics for normalization of mental state and sleep.
Chronic encephalopathy (Korsakov's psychosis) is subject to longer, intensive treatment, which includes the use of glucocorticosteroid hormones (hydrocortisone, prednisolone), infusion therapy and the introduction of drug doses of ethanol.
Alcohol encephalopathy - prognosis
The earlier the patient turns for help, the more likely to recover. If the syndrome in question is not treated at all, the disease will lead to hemorrhagic coma and death (about 18% of all cases).
In fact, the forecast depends on the degree of alcohol dependence, form, stage of encephalopathy, and is individual for each
Alcohol encephalopathy - consequences
Among the most common negative consequences is worth noting:
- dementia;
- cerebral hemorrhage;
- paralysis (complete or partial);
- neuritis, tremor of the lower and upper extremities;
- pneumonia ;
- coma with a fatal outcome.