What are the sequelae of encephalitis?

If encephalitis is more serious, it will often cause sequelae, which are also varied. It can easily lead to limb disabilities, intellectual disorders, language dysfunction, and slurred speech. Therefore, once symptoms of encephalitis appear, you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid causing greater harm. Let us learn about it below.

What are the sequelae of encephalitis?

The main sequelae of viral encephalitis include: ① aphasia, speech delay, paralysis, dysphagia, optic atrophy, deafness, epilepsy and other nervous system damage; ② dementia, memory and comprehension impairment, mental retardation, indifferent expression, dull eyes, crying and laughing erratically, aggressive behavior, irritability, hyperactivity and other mental state and cognitive function abnormalities; ③ autonomic dysfunction such as sweating and drooling. Severe sequelae of bacterial meningitis include impaired consciousness, bilateral hearing loss, movement disorders, epilepsy, visual impairment, and hydrocephalus; milder sequelae include behavioral problems, learning difficulties, unilateral hearing loss, decreased muscle tone, and diplopia.

The severity of the sequelae of encephalitis varies, and the main manifestations are neuropsychiatric abnormalities. Symptoms of neurological abnormalities include fever, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, coma, convulsions, etc. In severe cases, the cerebrum, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, brainstem, cerebellum and spinal cord may all show abnormal symptoms. Mental abnormalities manifest as excitement, talkativeness, irritability, crying and laughing at random, insomnia, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, fantasies, or indifferent expression, silence, decreased activity, refusal to eat, poor orientation, memory loss, incontinence, etc. Post-encephalitis may cause fever and malaise without signs of meningeal irritation or may cause signs of meningeal irritation (fever, headache, vomiting, malaise, and stiffness of the neck and back) plus brain dysfunction (altered consciousness, personality changes, seizures) and cranial nerve dysfunction.

Precautions

If it is caused by bacteria, the best way is to be prepared for timely treatment. If it is caused by other reasons, it will lead to more serious consequences. If not treated promptly, many complications may occur.

Some types of meningitis can cause lifelong damage to people's bodies. People should actively prevent it when they do not have meningitis, and should use regular methods to receive treatment when they have meningitis.