Professor Clive Hawkins, Professor of Clinical Neurology, Keele University Medical
School
At the time of encephalitis patients frequently suffer headache as a result of raised
pressure in the brain and subsequently headache continues often for several weeks as
a result of irritation of the lining of the brain (the meninges).
However, it is also the case that headache can continue relentlessly for many months
or years or sometimes indefinitely. This is usually the result of a muscle contraction
process when the muscles over the skull are in a constant state of contraction and
spasm and treatments should be specifically directed towards this. Both a relaxation
approach and medication may help. In addition it is quite common after encephalitis
for patients to develop migrainous headache which can be treated with medication
at the time of attack or as prevention to reduce the frequency and severity of
migraine. Patients with continuing headache after encephalitis should be referred to a
Neurologist to exclude other causes.