Monday, March 08, 2010

Encephalitis

--- is an inflammation of the brain caused by a primary viral infection to the brain or spinal cord, or a by a secondary viral infection which first infects a part of the body and then infects the brain.

Symptoms:
*Headache
*Irritability
*Lethargy
*Fever
*Joint pain

More serious infections can cause:
*Confusion and hallucinations
*Personality changes
*Double vision
*Seizures
*Muscle weakness
*Loss of sensation or paralysis in certain areas
*Tremors
*Rash
*Loss of consciousness
*Bulging in the soft spots (fontanels) of the skull in infants

Info taken from the May Clinic website.

5 comments:

Addie said...

Wait, why did you post this? ... is that what you had the other week?

emily wells said...

LOL Faith!

Jesse said...

I hope not!

Kate Sumpter said...

I was *reading* about it and I thought it was interesting. In fact is was all I could talk about!

Emily said...

Just rereading this sudden diagnoses of encephalitis made me laugh again so hard that I had to read it to Aaron (I think I read it to him a few weeks ago, too!).

BUT it was really fascinating to talk to you, Kate, and hear all about what you were reading. Interesting stuff!