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A false alarm? Symptoms of encephalitis that may surprise you. How to distinguish it from the common cold?
Encephalitis, this term may sound unfamiliar to many people, but it is an important disease that affects the health of countless people. The main feature of encephalitis is inflammation of the brain, and symptoms vary from headaches and high fever to changes in consciousness, which are more often mistaken for the common cold. How can we effectively distinguish between encephalitis and colds?
Symptoms of encephalitis include confusion, language disorders, fever, headache, cognitive confusion, etc. In severe cases, even epilepsy and hallucinations may occur.
Symptoms of encephalitis
Adults usually experience acute onset of high fever, headache, confusion and other symptoms, and some may also have epileptic seizures. For young children or infants, symptoms include irritability, loss of appetite and fever. Through a neurological examination, doctors can diagnose patients who are displaying symptoms of drowsiness or confusion.
Types of encephalitis
Limbic encephalitis
Limbic encephalitis primarily affects the limbic system of the brain, and common clinical manifestations include disorientation, poor inhibition, memory loss, and abnormal behavior. During an MRI, doctors often see high signal intensity in the medial temporal lobe.
Encephalitis lethargica
Encephalitis lethargica is characterized by high fever, headache, delayed body reactions and drowsiness. Some patients may also experience upper body weakness, muscle pain and tremors. The cause of this encephalitis is still unknown, and there was a global epidemic from 1917 to 1928.
Causes of encephalitis
There are many causes of encephalitis, viral infection is one of the most common causes, and the most common pathogen is the herpes simplex virus. In addition to viruses, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections can also cause encephalitis. Furthermore, autoimmune diseases and certain medications are also potential factors leading to encephalitis.
For 30% to 40% of encephalitis cases, the cause remains unknown. This is often a situation that cannot be confirmed by initial clinical diagnosis.
Diagnosis of encephalitis
Doctors usually make a diagnosis based on the patient's symptoms, and if necessary, confirm it with tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalogram (EEG), and lumbar puncture. MRI images can show inflammation in the brain and help differentiate it from other disorders, while an EEG can detect abnormalities in brain activity.
Prevention and treatment of encephalitis
Some encephalitis is preventable through vaccines, such as the vaccine against forest tick-borne encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis. For treatment, commonly used antiviral drugs include acyclovir, while patients with autoimmune encephalitis may need immunotherapy to control the disease.
Cholesterol prognosis
The prognosis varies depending on the cause, but early diagnosis and normal brain electrical activity responses have a higher survival rate. However, patients with severe conditions may face a long recovery process or even permanent damage to brain function.
According to a 2015 global report, encephalitis affected 4.3 million people and caused 150,000 deaths.
While experiencing the symptoms of a common cold, have you ever considered the possibility of facing a more serious illness, such as encephalitis?
