Herpes encephalitis is a rare but serious condition caused by the herpes simplex type 1 virus. Symptoms include fever, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, headaches, hallucinations, seizures, and paralysis. Hospitalization may be necessary, and antiviral drugs can be used for treatment.
Herpes encephalitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the brain tissues. There are several types of encephalitis, which are typically caused by viral infections. Herpes encephalitis is most often caused by a virus called herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1). This virus is normally quite benign and causes relatively minor problems such as fever blisters. In some cases, however, the virus travels into a person’s brain tissue and causes it to become inflamed.
Very few people get herpes encephalitis every year. This is in stark contrast to the number of people getting minor conditions caused by the virus. Conditions like cold sores are caused by this virus and are very common; people get them or their variations on the lips and tongue. Some people even get blisters caused by this virus on the eyelids or inside the nose. For most people, these conditions are no cause for alarm and typically go away without treatment. Only in rare cases does the virus make its way into a person’s brain.
When a herpes virus makes its way into a person’s brain, the consequences can be very serious. For example, rare cases of herpes encephalitis can occur when the herpes virus travels from the inside of a person’s nose to their brain. The following symptoms may include fever, stiff neck, nausea, and vomiting; often, sufferers of this condition also develop sore throats and headaches. Over time, the symptoms of the condition may worsen and a person may begin to hallucinate, have seizures, or suffer from paralysis. An individual with this condition may eventually fall into a coma or even die.
In some cases, herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) underlies the development of herpes encephalitis. This form of the virus is typically the cause of herpes encephalitis affecting newborns. In this case, the newborn usually gets the herpes virus from the mother. Babies usually get infected while in the birth canal. Adults, on the other hand, are usually infected with the HSV-1 form of the virus.
Due to the serious consequences of herpes encephalitis, hospitalization may be necessary to treat the patient and monitor him during the critical stages of the disease. Interestingly, doctors are unable to treat most forms of viral encephalitis, and treatment may be focused on managing symptoms. Herpes encephalitis, on the other hand, can be treated with antiviral drugs.
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