What is meningoencephalitis and how does this disease manifest in adults and children?

1 Symptoms of pathology

This disease, like meningoencephalitis, is considered a complication caused by the simultaneous occurrence of meningitis and encephalitis in humans. Meningitis is a disease that causes severe inflammation in the layers of the brain. In turn, encephalitis is a disease that is similar in nature to meningitis. It leads to inflammation of the entire brain. By the way, not only the combination of both ailments can cause this serious illness. Sometimes the second group encephalitis also provokes such complications if they include chicken pox, measles and rubella. The causes of the emergence of foci of inflammation in the brain may consist in getting the infection on the paranasal sinuses. Purulent otitis can also cause such complications. Also, the cause may be demyelinating phenomena.

There is a classification of meningoencephalitis. The course of the disease can be lightning fast. In this case, it develops sharply, causing disturbances in the body, and then death. The acute form also develops rapidly, leading to abnormalities in the brain. Subacute form is different in that the damage to the body is slow. With chronic form, the disease will be sluggish. There will be no pronounced symptomatology. The periods of remission and exacerbation are constantly changing.

This ailment can be associated with septic processes. The patient's condition will deteriorate continuously without treatment. He feels an intense headache. The body temperature rises. One of the bright symptoms of meningoencephalitis is a disturbance of consciousness. Behind the patient you can notice delusional state, inhibition, mild deafness. He feels excited. Sometimes there is vomiting and convulsions. You can see the stiffness of the muscles on the back of the head, there is a fear of light, hyperesthesia. These symptoms are joined by symptoms that indicate damage to the brain. This applies to anisoreflexia, hemiparesis, coordination problems, nerve damage near the skull. In addition, there are mental abnormalities, alexia, apraxia, etc.

Meningoencephalitis of the hemorrhagic influenza type is very difficult. The patient's body temperature rises, he feels a strong chill, there are disorders of consciousness, epileptic seizures. Sometimes the patient falls into a coma. This disease is a serious complication of influenza and other similar ailments.

Herpetic meningoencephalitis is isolated in 2 forms: serous and hemorrhagic. This disease is considered a complication after herpes.

One of the viruses of tick-borne encephalitis can provoke a two-wave meningoencephalitis of the viral type. A person can get infected through the milk of an infected animal. In this case, iksodid mites are considered vectors. Usually, infection occurs in the spring or summer. The disease has a sharp shape, the body temperature rises sharply. There is a chill, headaches, myalgia, problems with sleep. After a week the body temperature will become normal, but after another 10 days the second wave will go. It will cause damage to the central nervous system. The patient has long maintained asthenia, but the foci regress.

Meningoencephalitis of an amoebic type is considered very rare. The current will not only be very heavy, but also lightning fast. High level of risk of fatal outcome. A man is infected in warm fresh water. The first signs of the disease can appear in 1 day, and in 2 weeks.

Brucellosis meningoencephalitis leads to disorders in the soft tissues of the brain envelope. Then the granules are formed. The course of the disease is very long. There is paralysis and paresis, problems with the psyche. The patient should be urgently placed in the intensive care unit. He will be rehabilitated in the neurological department.

Toxoplasmosis is considered another form of this disease. It is caused by the simplest microorganisms, which damage nerve fibers, internal organs, and then passes to the central parts of the nervous system. The brain is scattered granulomas. They have parasites. The patient will have mental disorders, paresis and paralysis, problems with coordination of movement, there are pains in the muscles and joints, lymph nodes increase.

2 Treatment actions

Before starting treatment, children or an adult need to establish an accurate diagnosis, find out a variety of the disease and identify the causes that caused it. Biochemical analysis is used for diagnostics. Serologic examination is also prescribed. It is necessary to make a tomography, and also to make a lumbar puncture.

The disease is treated in the same way as encephalitis and meningitis. If a patient has an acute form, then antibiotics and hormonal drugs are used. For children, you need to carefully choose the dosage. In addition, individual treatment is prescribed depending on the symptoms. At each person they will be different, so it is necessary to select a symptomatic treatment.

In general, you need to treat only in the infectious department. If you start using medicines in time, then the likelihood of a good outcome and quick recovery will increase. After diagnosis, the patient is sent to the department, where he will have all the necessary conditions for complex therapy. Puncture of cerebrospinal fluid is a good method of treatment, which will help to quickly identify the causes. In addition, intracranial pressure decreases, so that the patient's well-being will begin to improve. For children, this procedure is carried out with great care. After this procedure, the doctor appoints medical measures that will help to eliminate the causes that caused the ailment, the symptoms and prevent the occurrence of complications. Usually, doctors prescribe drugs of several groups. First, antibiotics can not be avoided. Secondly, neuroprotectors are prescribed. Thirdly, antioxidants are used. In addition, doctors recommend the use of drugs that improve blood flow. Venotonics are prescribed. Still need vitamins E and Group B, funds with anticholinesterase, anticonvulsant and sedative properties.

As an auxiliary therapy, physicians can prescribe physiotherapy and reflexology.

The entire period of treatment should be observed with a neurologist. As a rehabilitation after the transferred meningoencephalitis, the patient is prescribed additional sanatorium treatment. This will help to strengthen the immune system and the entire body of adults or children. The rehabilitation period will be very long.

3 Useful recommendations

Meningoencephalitis is a serious disease that usually occurs after the patient has developed both meningitis and encephalitis. This disease can occur in both an adult and a child. The earlier the symptoms are recognized, the greater the chance that the person will survive. However, all signs of the disease in each person manifest themselves in different ways. It depends on how much the central nervous system is affected. Treatment of a terrible disease should be immediate. Otherwise, there is a risk of death.