Everyone Healthy Library
Encephalitis
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
1Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
0No linked drugs are listed yet.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
7Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
12These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Examination Test
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Concentration
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Estriol Concentration (E3, Blood)
- magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA)
- Needle Aspiration Biopsy
- Physical Examination
- Protein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Spinal Tap (lumbar Puncture)
- Testosterone Concentration
- White Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Biological markers/agents
7This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
6- Alpha-1-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.1–0.3 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Alpha-2-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.6–1 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Beta GlobulinReference range exampleAll: 0.7–1.2 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Immunoglobulin G (IgG)Reference range exampleAll: 0–43 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Concentration
- TestosteroneReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 0.8–1.65 nmol/L; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 15–24.4 nmol/LLinked diagnostic testsTestosterone Concentration
- White Blood Cell (WBC)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 4.5–10.5 million/mL; Adult ( > 16y): 3.2–10 million/mLLinked diagnostic testsWhite Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Often decreased
1Introduction / full article
Encephalitis
Encephalitis
An inflammation of the brain usually caused by a virus. Viral encephalitis may be caused by Enteroviruses, Herpes simplex virus, Epstein- Barr virus, Measles, Chickenpox, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Murray Valley Encephalitis virus and Japanese Encephalitis virus. Rarely encephalitis can result from cancer, bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections, from medications or a reaction to a vaccination. The major risk of encephalitis is permanent brain damage. Treatment is usually antiviral medication (to eliminate the virus) or aimed at controlling symptoms.