Prolonged and heavy alcohol use causes brain cell death, which can cause certain areas of the brain to marijuana addiction shrink. For example, research has found that heavy drinkers have a reduced volume of white matter. This damage leads to poorer communication between areas of the brain and impaired cognitive function. If this is untreated, it can lead to mild cognitive impairment or various types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease 35. The most common form of alcohol-related dementia is a combination of two different conditions, Wernicke’s encephalopathy, and Korsakoff’s dementia. A person can develop one or the other condition, or both can occur together.

• This treatment has shown to improve diminishing brain function and, in some cases, fully return.
• Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) and dementia are both conditions that affect cognitive function, but they have different causes and manifestations.
• The life expectancy of someone with alcohol dementia depends on the individual.
• The biggest complication of alcohol-related dementia is the damage in your brain.

Diagnosis and Tests

The kind of drinking that causes alcohol-related dementia is different from an occasional cocktail, beer or glass of wine. The American Medical Association recommends that males have no more than two standard-sized drinks per day, and no more than 14 in a week. Females should have no more than one standard-sized drink a day, and seven or fewer drinks each week.

Think you have a drinking problem?

They may also need to live in assisted living housing if their symptoms are severe. However, a person will likely need to take thiamine supplements and stop or significantly cut back on alcohol consumption for the best results. In cases where they suspect Korsakoff syndrome, a doctor will likely recommend long-term use of thiamine, possibly combined with other vitamins and magnesium. Experts recommend that screeners check anyone with memory loss for alcohol use. Options may include inpatient or outpatient detoxification from alcohol, and can alcoholism cause dementia sometimes, medication is necessary to help a person stop drinking. If you or a loved one is living with AUD, it can be challenging to stop drinking.

• Family or friends may have certain thoughts or convictions about what is going on and why it’s going on.
• Scientists are still studying how these various conditions work, interact, and their relation to alcohol.
• Some of alcohol’s effects on memory are apparent — maybe you wake up after a night of drinking and have a bruise you don’t remember getting, or you don’t recall any of the night’s previous events.
• It is likely that a person will need a brain scan to rule out other causes of their symptoms.
• Alcohol consumption at high doses damages brain cells, leading to structural and functional impairments.

Mental Health Resources

They meticulously evaluate and review all medical content before publication to ensure it is medically accurate and aligned with current discussions and research developments in mental health. Recovering from alcohol use disorder can be challenging and what works for one person may not work well for another, so you may wish to try different treatment options 1. There is currently a debate among scientists about the extent to which alcohol by itself damages the brain, as opposed to the damage from thiamine deficiency. If the person is still addicted to alcohol, treatment for the addiction is the first step, and many forms of help are available. The National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence offers helpful tips on their website on how to start a discussion about this sensitive topic while avoiding arguments or making them feel guilty. Try to avoid having this conversation while they have been drinking because this is not the right time for them to absorb information and it may frustrate you more.

A person should consult a doctor https://ecosoberhouse.com/ if they are experiencing any of these symptoms to receive a prompt diagnosis. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, drinking in moderation consists of no more than one or two drinks daily for females and males, respectively. A standard drink contains 14 grams, or 0.6 ounces (oz), of pure alcohol in the United States. MentalHealth.com is a health technology company guiding people towards self-understanding and connection. For information about the terms governing the use of our website and how we handle data, please refer to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Alcohol use disorders have long been known to carry a long list of health issues. Of the dementia cases, around 3 percent were directly attributed to alcohol. But when the team looked at only the early-onset dementia cases, the percentage was much higher. Although the above factors adequately explain why alcohol abuse and dementia may be linked, the exact size and scale of the issue is not clear.