- This page has been taken from Encephalitis – a guide, which is available from our
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All bodily movements are controlled by the brain. Encephalitis may cause weakness,
lack of control or loss of movement. The brain controls our ability to co-ordinate
movement and balance. Individuals can therefore sometimes appear to be clumsy or
unstable on his or her feet.
Epilepsy and seizures
Epileptic seizures (or fits) may occur during encephalitis, or may develop weeks,
months, or even in very rare cases years afterwards. Encephalitis has the effect
of lowering the threshold needed to produce a seizure, making an attack more likely.
The amount by which it will be lowered varies according to the nature and extent
of damage to the brain.
The types of seizures may be complex partial (also called focal, affecting one part
of the brain only, and therefore only one part/half of the body), primary generalised
(affecting both halves of the brain, and therefore the whole body, simultaneously)
and secondary generalised (when the seizure may start as a partial seizure but then
spreads to the rest of the brain, resulting in a secondary generalised tonic-clonic
[“grand mal”] convulsion). Partial seizures may take the form of altered
and confused behaviour with semi-purposeful actions. They may sometimes be difficult
to diagnose.
Epilepsy is treated with anticonvulsant drugs, of which there are several. The aim
of the drugs is to either prevent the spread of abnormal activity within the brain
or to raise the threshold at which an attack may occur.
Tiredness and Fatigue
Extra rest is needed after encephalitis and as a result sleeping patterns may alter.
Some individuals may need to sleep for up to 14 hours at a stretch whilst others
only need or can only sleep for a few hours each night and may cat-nap throughout
the day.
Feeling over-tired can be a long-term problem after encephalitis, but can be eased
by not over doing things and pacing out your life. In a world where everything moves
so fast it is often difficult to adjust to the fact that you may now need to slow
down.
Headaches and bodily pain
Changes in sensation, headaches and pain in other parts of the body can last for
several weeks after the acute illness, and sometimes may continue for some time
after the acute phase. These may be made worse by lack of rest, having to concentrate
hard, and/or bright lights. Dizziness also may occur, especially with sudden or
rapid movement and may be accompanied by feeling nauseous. While stress and tension
are usually the main causes, a doctor should always check persistent headaches or
pain and referral to a pain clinic may be necessary where these problems persist.
Sensory Changes
Vision, hearing, taste, smell, temperature and touch can all be affected by encephalitis.
Problems can range from complete loss of a sense to variations in sensitivity from
one day to the next.
One common problem is sight recognition, for example not being able to see an object
that you are looking for or not recognising familiar faces.
Hearing problems can occur for a number of reasons. Tinnitus is experienced as noise,
commonly like a buzzing, hissing or ringing in the ears. Auditory agnosia is impaired
recognition of non-verbal sounds and noises, but intact language function. In some
cases the person can be extremely sensitive to certain noises, pitches, or where
there is more than one sound at a time. They may be unable to tolerate many environments
we take for granted (for example shopping malls and pubs).
Last modified: March 2008