Encephalitis

What is encephalitis?

Encephalitis is inflammation (swelling) of the brain. It can happen when an infection or medical condition that affects the brain activates your immune system. The inflammation can cause a wide range of symptoms. In extreme cases, it can lead to brain damage, stroke, or even death.

What causes encephalitis?

There are different types of encephalitis, based on what the cause is. The two main types are infectious encephalitis and autoimmune encephalitis.

Infectious encephalitis is usually caused by a virus. In fact, viruses are the most common cause of encephalitis. Some of the different viruses that cause it include:

• Herpes viruses, including herpes simplex (HSV), the Epstein-Barr virus (which causes infectious mononucleosis) and the varicella-zoster virus (which causes chickenpox).
• Viruses you can get if you are bitten by an infected tick, such as tick-borne encephalitis (TBE virus) and Powassan virus.
• Viruses you can get if you are bitten by an infected mosquito, such as eastern equine encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and La Crosse virus.
• Enteroviruses, which are a common group of viruses that mostly cause mild illness or respiratory infection. These infections usually happen in the summer and fall.

Bacteria, fungi, and parasites can also cause infectious encephalitis. But this is not common.

Autoimmune encephalitis happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy brain cells. It can be triggered by conditions such as certain cancers, benign tumors, and infections. Sometimes the cause is not known.

Who is more likely to get encephalitis?

Anyone can get encephalitis, but you are more likely to get it if you:

• Have a weakened immune system, for example from having HIV or taking certain medicines. These could include medicines taken after an organ transplant, certain chemotherapy medicines, and specialized treatments for certain autoimmune diseases.
• Are a young child or older adult.
• Live in areas where there are ticks and mosquitoes that carry viruses that can cause encephalitis.

What are the symptoms of encephalitis?

The symptoms of encephalitis can vary a lot, depending on how severe it is. Many people do not have any symptoms. Others may have mild flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, or body aches. If encephalitis becomes more serious, it can cause:

• Severe headache
• Stiff neck
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Behavior changes
• Drowsiness
• Muscle weakness
• Partial paralysis in your arms and legs
• Coma

Encephalitis can be dangerous in infants. Their symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Lethargy (weakness or drowsiness)
• Poor feeding
• Vomiting
• Body stiffness
• Unusual irritability or crying
• A full or bulging fontanel (the soft spot on the top of the head)

If you or your child is having symptoms of encephalitis, it's important to get medical care right away.

How is encephalitis diagnosed?

To find out if you have encephalitis, your health care provider:

• Will do a physical exam
• Will take your medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms
• May do a neurologic exam
• May order imaging tests, such as a brain CT scan or MRI
• May order an EEG (electroencephalography), which use small electric sensors to measure your brain activity
• May order blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests

What are the treatments for encephalitis?

Most people with encephalitis will need treatment in the hospital. Depending on the cause, treatments may include antiviral medicines, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and other medicines.

For some types of encephalitis, there is no medicine to treat it. But rest, nutrition, and fluids can help your body fight the infection and relieve symptoms.

Some people may need physical, speech, and occupational therapy once the illness is under control.

Can encephalitis be prevented?

There are steps you can take to help prevent encephalitis that is caused by infections:

• Use good hygiene, including washing your hands often with soap and water.
• Don't share food, drinks, utensils, and glasses with other people.
• Get vaccines for viruses that can cause encephalitis.
• Avoid mosquito and tick bites, for example by:
  • Wearing insect repellent with DEET or another U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent. Make sure to follow the instructions for using the repellant.
  • Wearing clothes that cover your arms, legs and feet.
  • Treating your clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin before you go in grassy or woody areas.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Exercise for Older Adults

Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, including older adults. There are four main types and each type is different. Doing them all will give you more benefits.:

• Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. Brisk walking or jogging, dancing, swimming, and biking are examples.
• Strength exercises make your muscles stronger. Lifting weights or using a resistance band can build strength.
• Balance exercises help prevent falls
• Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber

If you have not been active, you can start slowly and work up to your goal. How much exercise you need depends on your age and health. Check with your health care provider on what is right for you.

NIH: National Institute on Aging

Fainting

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness. If you're about to faint, you'll feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous. Your field of vision may "white out" or "black out." Your skin may be cold and clammy. You lose muscle control at the same time, and may fall down.

Fainting usually happens when your blood pressure drops suddenly, causing a decrease in blood flow to your brain. It is more common in older people. Some causes of fainting include:

• Heat or dehydration
• Emotional distress
• Standing up too quickly
• Certain medicines
• Drop in blood sugar
• Heart problems

When someone faints, make sure that the airway is clear and check for breathing. The person should stay lying down for 10-15 minutes. Most people recover completely. Fainting is usually nothing to worry about, but it can sometimes be a sign of a serious problem. If you faint, it's important to see your health care provider and find out why it happened.

Hair Problems

The average person has 5 million hairs. Hair grows all over your body except on your lips, palms, and the soles of your feet. It takes about a month for healthy hair to grow half an inch. Most hairs grow for up to six years and then fall out. New hairs grow in their place.

Hair helps keep you warm. It also protects your eyes, ears and nose from small particles in the air. Common problem with the hair and scalp include hair loss, infections, and flaking.

Hay Fever

Each spring, summer, and fall, trees, weeds, and grasses release tiny pollen grains into the air. Some of the pollen ends up in your nose and throat. This can trigger a type of allergy called hay fever.

Symptoms can include:

• Sneezing, often with a runny or clogged nose
• Coughing and postnasal drip
• Itching eyes, nose and throat
• Red and watery eyes
• Dark circles under the eyes

Your health care provider may diagnose hay fever based on a physical exam and your symptoms. Sometimes skin or blood tests are used. Taking medicines and using nasal sprays can relieve symptoms. You can also rinse out your nose, but be sure to use distilled or sterilized water with saline. Allergy shots can help make you less sensitive to pollen and provide long-term relief.