How to relieve headache from encephalitis

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on September 06, 2024
00:00
00:00

Encephalitis is mainly divided into viral encephalitis, bacterial encephalitis, and tubercular meningitis, among others. Encephalitis usually causes patients to experience fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. The cause of headaches includes the pain response due to inflammation stimulating the meninges. Moreover, these infections can cause an increase in intracranial pressure, leading to significant symptoms in patients such as headache, nausea, and vomiting. To alleviate headaches, it is important to actively treat the primary disease. This includes administering antiviral drugs for viral infections, and antibiotics for bacterial infections. If the headache is caused by increased intracranial pressure, it is crucial to actively administer dehydrating agents and drugs that lower intracranial pressure to reduce it, thereby relieving the headache. Additionally, the use of glucocorticoids can be combined to manage the treatment, suppress the inflammatory response, and alleviate pain. If the pain is significant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may also be administered to relieve the pain. The treatment of pain in encephalitis is a comprehensive issue that requires addressing the pathogen, dehydration, reduction of intracranial pressure, and symptomatic treatment.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tang Li Li
Neurology
1min 5sec home-news-image

Can encephalitis recur?

Encephalitis comes in various types, some of which are prone to recurrence, while others are monophasic and do not recur. The most common type is viral encephalitis, particularly infections caused by the herpes simplex virus. Although recovery from viral encephalitis after antiviral treatment is possible, it may leave some sequelae, but generally does not recur. Tuberculous meningoencephalitis, however, has a higher rate of recurrence, often related to the resistance of tuberculosis bacteria and inadequate anti-tuberculosis treatment. Patients need repeated lumbar puncture tests to confirm that the cerebrospinal fluid has returned to normal levels and require long-term use of anti-tuberculosis medications. Bacterial meningitis generally does not recur. Additionally, there are some autoimmune types of encephalitis, such as autoimmune encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, and neuromyelitis optica, where recurrence is possible when involving the brain.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
31sec home-news-image

How is encephalitis in children treated?

Encephalitis in children is generally treated based on the cause of the infection. It could be caused by viral infections, bacterial infections, or other pathogens. The most basic treatment is definitely to address the cause of the encephalitis. If there are other symptoms such as fever or seizures, symptomatic treatment should be administered based on these symptoms. The treatment plan should be tailored to the specific condition of the child.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tang Li Li
Neurology
1min 42sec home-news-image

How is encephalitis diagnosed?

The diagnosis of encephalitis relies on the following aspects. First, it is based on clinical manifestations. If the patient clearly exhibits symptoms such as headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and signs of increased intracranial pressure, and physical examination shows positive signs of meningeal irritation, then there is a high suspicion of encephalitis. Second, various auxiliary tests can be conducted. Initially non-invasive tests such as electroencephalograms (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the skull can be completed. If the MRI reveals significant abnormalities, such as abnormal signals in the frontal and temporal lobes including the hippocampus, then viral encephalitis should be highly suspected. If the EEG shows moderate abnormalities or increased slow waves, it also indicates damage to the cerebral cortex, serving as an indirect indicator of encephalitis. Third, a lumbar puncture can be performed to ascertain any abnormalities in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) routine and biochemical tests. If the cell count is elevated beyond ten times the normal value, an inflammatory infection is considered. There is often a minor to moderate increase in protein. The levels of glucose and chloride may decrease in bacterial and tuberculous encephalitis, while they are generally normal in viral encephalitis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 6sec home-news-image

What is checked for encephalitis?

The examination items for encephalitis mainly include, first, some basic hematological tests. These include routine blood tests, liver and kidney function tests, electrolytes, etc., to understand the status of the patient's white blood cells and whether there is any damage to liver and kidney functions. It is also necessary to test for cardiac enzymes, as some viruses can also affect the heart. Second, an EEG is required. Abnormal EEG patterns, such as increased diffuseness, can be observed in encephalitis, which is important for accurate diagnosis. Third, further examinations like lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid tests are needed. The main focus in cerebrospinal fluid is to see if there is an increase in white blood cells and to check if there are any changes in protein and sugar levels in the fluid. This has great reference value for diagnosing whether it is encephalitis and what type of encephalitis it might be. Fourth, a cranial MRI can be performed to clearly identify if there are any organic lesions in the brain.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tang Li Li
Neurology
1min 7sec home-news-image

Is the blood count high in encephalitis?

Not all cases of encephalitis show an increase in blood counts. Elevated blood counts in encephalitis generally occur in bacterial infections, such as the most common pyogenic meningitis. This can cause a significant increase in blood counts, predominantly with neutrophils. Tuberculous meningitis can also show elevated blood counts, but not as prominently as pyogenic meningitis. In cases of viral infection, such as the common herpes simplex virus infection, patients might experience a decrease in blood counts. This is characterized by a reduction in the total number of white blood cells, a lower proportion of neutrophils, and a possible increase in lymphocyte proportion. If the patient has a concurrent lung infection or other bacterial infections at different sites, there might be an increase in blood counts, which can mask the blood abnormalities originally caused by the viral infection.