Most Common Encephalitis Symptoms - Signs And Symptoms Of Encephalitis

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Encephalitis also known as West Nile Virus, is a medical condition wherein there is an inflammation of the brain due to the virus.

Encephalitis is a very rare disease and is caused mainly in people with poor immune system like elder people, small children or people suffering from AIDS/HIV or leukemia.Encephalitis is basically a viral infection and can occur due to mosquito bite, unhygienic contaminated water and food, through direct contact with skin, bacterial infections, parasites etc.

The symptoms of Encephalitis infections can appear from as early as two days to as late as two weeks. The initial symptoms are like those of common cold or flu and specific symptoms of encephalitis occur only when the infection is full blown. It is advisable to seek medical treatment as soon as possible to nullify the effects of encephalitis.

Common Symptoms Of Encephalitis

Headache

People suffering from Encephalitis experience mild to severe headache depending upon the extent of infection. Due to headache they are unable to concentrate on any thing for long durations and as a result feel disoriented.

The patient’s eyes become sensitive to bright lights and glare. Due to constant headache, patients often become very irritable and are prone to shortness of temper.

Fever

Fever is another symptom exhibited by the encephalitis patient. The fever again like the headache may be severe or low , depending upon the degree of infection in the patient.

The patients of encephalitis also experience ache in body joints and muscles. Sometimes it is also seen that the back and neck of the patients become stiff and movements become very painful.

Nausea And Vomiting

Encephalitis infected person is often plagued by a feeling of nausea followed by vomiting. The repeated bout of vomiting results in dehydrating in the body and the person has an overall feeling of weakness in the body. The patient also experiences muscle pain and weakness.

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Loss Of Memory

Loss of memory is yet another symptom which is common in patients suffering from encephalitis. This loss of memory results in making things very confusing for the patient.

The patients of encephalitis are prone to bouts of nervousness and becomes anxious very easily. Patients often also complain of seeing things double and suffer from hallucinations.

Loss of Appetite

The patients of encephalitis experiences a sharp decline in their appetite and thus end up losing a lot of weight. Due to loss in weight the patients become weak and tire easily. They have low energy and are overall very lethargic.

Change in Personality

There is a marked change of behavior and personality in the patients suffering from encephalitis, as compared to their original personality. Consciousness of the person suffering from encephalitis is also altered. The patients face difficulty in listening and making normal conversations. The patients often feel depressed and are prone to moodiness.

Convulsions And Coma

In extreme cases, people suffering from encephalitis may have convulsions. Some are also known to go into coma and suffer from paralysis of certain parts of the body. Sometimes even the whole body is paralyzed.

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