ENCEPHALITIS is rare but serious condition that causes the brain to swell.
There are a few things that can cause it, but it’s called viral encephalitis when it’s caused by a viral infection.
It’s very rare for the illness – which requires urgent medical treatment – to be caused by common viruses.
But it is possible for viruses that cause everyday ailments like cold sores or chickenpox and shingles to spread to the brain and cause it to become inflamed.
Other viruses that could cause it include measles, mumps and rubella viruses and ones spread by animals, such as tick-borne encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, rabies.
The former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan was hospitalised after being diagnosed with viral encephalitis last year and stayed in intensive care for months.
The Fairytale of New York singer sadly passed away from the illness at the age of 65.
According to Encephalitis Society, there up to 6,000 cases of encephalitis in the UK each year.
When caused by a virus, initial symptoms of the illness are subtle and can easily be mistaken for other, less serious conditions.
According to the NHS, encephalitis starts out with flu-like symptoms.
It can be easy to chalk a fever down to something more benign like the flu or a cold.
But you should you get immediate medical help if you display any of the symptoms of serious encephalitis detailed further down.
Headaches are extremely common and most of us would attribute them to lack of sleep, dehydration or stress if we had one.
But it’s another one of the initial symptoms that you can start to experience days or weeks after contracting viral encephalitis.
People with encephalitis might also feel sick or vomit in the early stages of the infection, which most of us would think was caused by food poisoning or norovirus.
It’s also pretty typical to have achy muscles and joints when you’re down with the flu.
Some people with viral encephalitis might also notice a spotty, blistery rash.
Many people won’t experience symptoms of viral encephalitis at all, according to Mount Sinai.
If you have the above symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have encephalitis, as they could be caused by any of the conditions mentioned.
But it’s important to act fast if your symptoms become more serious.
If the illness gets more severe and the brain is affected, people may experience the following symptoms, according to the NHS:
They may also get symptoms of meningitis, which is an infection that causes the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord to swell.
Symptoms can progress to more severe over several hours or days.
You should dial 999 immediately to request an ambulance if you or a loved one has symptoms of serious encephalitis.
