10 Symptoms of Encephalitis

It's fairly normal to run a fever when your body is fighting an infection. If the fever persists for more than two days and refuses to break, however, it needs a doctor's attention. Encephalitis affects the brain and is incredibly difficult to beat instantly, so a stubborn fever requires special care.

Headaches occur fairly often and usually aren't cause for alarm. However, a prolonged headache can signal something is wrong internally. As inflammation in your brain progresses, the pain will steadily increase. If a headache persists for more than a day or two and won't respond to proper medication and sleep, it deserves medical evaluation to rule out encephalitis or another serious issue.

Your brain uses the spinal cord to transport signals to all parts of your body. Because the spinal cord passes through the neck, that area is particularly vulnerable. Persistent stiffness in your neck and back without any recent muscle strain may indicate a brain condition is affecting the spinal cord. If you ever feel severe stiffness for unknown reasons, consult a specialist to ensure it isn't something more serious.

When the brain is focused on protecting itself from an infection or inflammation, it diverts a massive amount of energy to battle the condition. This leaves little extra energy for normal bodily processes, resulting in profound fatigue. Observe your body's behavior—if you're feeling overwhelmingly tired for no apparent reason, it's time to see a doctor.

Encephalitis also affects sleep quality. You might sleep for hours on end without ever reaching the deeper, restorative phases of sleep, leaving you feeling fatigued no matter how much you snooze. This symptom is closely connected to a general lack of energy, so monitor your sleep habits to see if there's an underlying reason for your exhaustion.

Seizures are a severe symptom and always indicate a complex problem with the brain. If you or a loved one experience seizures, go to the hospital immediately. Be sure to notify the medical team if you've had any of the previous symptoms, as seizures often mean the inflammation is advancing and requires urgent intervention to prevent permanent damage.

Tremors can happen for many reasons, including a damaged nerve connection somewhere within the body. As your brain focuses its resources on tackling encephalitis, it may lose the power to properly control your body movements. Unexplained tremors are a clear sign that your brain is in a state of emergency.

This is an indicator that your brain's centers are struggling to maintain a stable level of consciousness. Perception can become severely disabled due to disrupted synapses between neurons. Hallucinations point to advanced encephalitis and require immediate emergency medical attention.

As synapses become damaged or destroyed, the memory center within your brain is directly threatened. Both short-term and long-term memory may change, causing an inability to form new memories or maintain a reliable sense of time. Feeling disorganized, lost, or unable to comprehend the passage of time are all warning signs.

The centers governing your temperament, emotion, and perception of reality are often the first to feel the relentless effects of encephalitis. You may feel a frightening lack of control over your own emotions or have trouble remembering what you have said and done. Don't be afraid to ask those around you for help—if friends and family notice something is off, it's best to play it safe and visit a medical expert.