Symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy

There are many diseases that endanger our human health. One of them is called Wernicke's encephalopathy, which is a disease caused by chronic alcohol virus and an acute disease caused by thiamine deficiency in the body. Since the moment we discovered wine, we have loved it. We drink whether we are happy or unhappy. Wine is our friend. Chinese literature has written countless poems and essays about wine. But what we don’t know is that wine can also harm our bodies.

What are the symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy?

1. The age of onset of WE ranges from 30 to 70 years old, with an average of 42.9 years old. There is a slight prevalence in males. The main manifestation is sudden onset of neurological dysfunction. Typical WE presents with three groups of characteristic symptoms, including extraocular muscle paralysis, mental abnormalities and ataxia.

(1) Extraocular muscle paralysis often presents with bilateral abducens nerve paralysis and diplopia. Other eye symptoms may include nystagmus, ptosis, optic disc edema, retinal hemorrhage, and sluggish or absent pupillary light reflex. Nystagmus appears early, mainly horizontally and vertically, and is often accompanied by abnormal vestibular function tests. Ophthalmoplegia usually recovers within 24 hours if treated promptly, while nystagmus takes 1 to 2 weeks to recover.

(2) Mental abnormalities include impaired attention, memory and orientation, mental distraction, irritability, apathy and dementia, which are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the state of alcohol withdrawal and are often called generalized turbidity state; they are often accompanied by Korsakoff syndrome, which is characterized by memory impairment, learning inability, confabulation, apathy and disorientation, and are often accompanied by confusion, drowsiness or coma.

(3) Ataxia mainly affects the trunk and lower limbs, and is less common in the upper limbs. Standing and walking are difficult, and recovery may take 2 weeks or longer.

2. Only 10% to 16.5% of patients experience three groups of symptoms. Studies have shown that 66% of patients have mental abnormalities, 73% have eye symptoms, and 82% have ataxia. Most patients have hypothermia, hypotension, and tachycardia. Some patients have complications such as liver disease, heart failure, pancreatitis, and peripheral neuropathy. Ophthalmoplegia recovers relatively quickly, but recovery of mental symptoms often takes weeks to months.

The symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy have been introduced in detail above. When these symptoms appear, timely treatment is required. It should be noted that disease prevention should be the main focus, nipping it in the bud before it occurs, eating a balanced diet and increasing exercise.