According to several studies, both short and long-term memory loss can be caused by changes in the brain or the systems that support it. While these changes can be related to an illness, your diet can also play a role. In fact, if you drink alcohol heavily, you could be doing irreversible harm to your memory.
People who drink a lot are more likely to experience memory loss. A study done in 2013 showed that 78 percent of those who were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD) had changes in their brains as a result of alcohol abuse. Whether these changes are evident as physical abnormalities or how the brain functions, you can experience significant effects on your memory.
Some of the symptoms of alcohol-related memory loss include the inability to recall recent conversations, the inability to recall what happened when you were drinking, difficulty in learning new skills, and the need to create stories to fill in memory gaps.
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The hippocampus is integral to forming, recalling, and maintaining memories. Alcohol has been shown to slow down how the different areas of the hippocampus communicate. This problem can make it difficult for you to access your memories.
With large quantities of alcohol or prolonged alcohol use, you may even end up with nerve damage. In this case, you can have permanent memory loss because the hippocampus will not be able to access certain memories.
Research shows that alcohol can affect how well your body uses thiamine (Vitamin B1). Thiamine is vital to providing the energy that nerve cells need to function. It’s estimated that alcohol can affect how well thiamine is absorbed. Additionally, people who drink have been shown to be deficient in thiamine.
Many heavy drinkers don’t have healthy diets. That can result in them being deficient in key nutrients. Even if you’re trying to eat well, alcohol consumption can slow down your metabolism and disrupt nutrient absorption. Regardless of which one affects you, it can make your gut microbiome unhealthy. Given the link between the gut and the brain, poor nutrition can easily affect your memory.
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Older adults are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol because of changes in their brains and metabolism. If you’re drinking as an older adult, alcohol is likely to stay in your system longer than usual and its effects can be more significant due to how your brain uses nutrients like thiamine.
Though anyone with an excessive drinking habit can develop alcohol-related dementia such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, older adults may be more susceptible. A few symptoms of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome are vision problems, low blood pressure, trouble with muscle movement coordination, and confusion. These symptoms increase the risk of injuries from falls.
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The long-term effects of alcohol-related dementia are usually permanent but you can make a difference by quitting alcohol. Additionally, if you identify the symptoms of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome at its early stages, you can prevent them from getting worse. The first step to getting rid of a drinking problem is removing all alcohol from your home.
If you have any monthly subscriptions that involve liquor, you should stop them. Studies show that you’re more likely to be successful in ending an addiction if you have a support structure. You can ask your friends or loved ones to help you remain healthy. You should also join Alcoholics Anonymous, which can be found in person or in some virtual spaces.
Though some people use a drink to relax, you might be doing yourself a disservice if you binge drink or consume large quantities of alcohol every day. It’s best to drink lightly or not at all if there are signs that your memory is being affected.
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