Inflammation of the meninges. Inflammation of the cerebral cortex consequences. Traditional therapy provides this

It can be primary and secondary. The causative agents of the first include viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. The disease is also called encephalitis, and polioencephalitis occurs if it is affected white matter. Symptoms can vary, but one of the most common is itching. In any case, effective treatment is necessary.

Causes of head inflammation

Allergic reaction;
. cerebral hemorrhages;
. flu;
. herpes;
. dysentery;
. chickenpox;
. malaria;
. rubella;
. tuberculosis;
. rheumatism.

Brain pathologies can occur in all diseases nervous system. They manifest themselves as a response to a damaging object. Acute period characterized by the presence of edema, microglial proliferation, degeneration nerve cells. At chronic stage tissue changes occur, nodules or scars appear. The disease should be treated only after identifying the causes.

Symptoms of head inflammation

General cerebral symptoms manifest themselves as:

Pain in the frontal region;
. photophobia;
. lethargy;
. drowsiness;
. psychosensory disorders.

One of the symptoms is itching. Focal symptoms of dysfunction of the central nervous system appear. These include cuts to the limbs, aphasia, and epileptic seizures. The disease can be asymptomatic, abortive or lightning-fast forms. The abortive form is characterized by neurological signs. And because of lightning, death follows.

Rules for treating head inflammation

Treatment should be carried out without hair coloring. After washing, the curls should dry on their own. Styling agents should be excluded. But masks with a calming and anti-inflammatory effect will be useful. You can use herbal rinses to relieve itching. Thanks to chamomile, nettle and oak bark, the skin is soothed and the hair gains shine and natural beauty.

Sometimes treatment of inflammation of the frontal region occurs with the help of a specialist. The dermatologist will determine the causes of the head ailment and choose suitable method recovery. They will help you determine this accurately. lab tests, since inflammation can occur from a virus. If this is the case, then in addition to antiviral ointments, antibiotics and drugs are used. If there is a risk of infection, the person is hospitalized.

Meningitis

Meningitis is divided into 3 stages:

Spicy;
. subacute;
. chronic.

The symptoms of meningitis are similar to regular inflammation, but may differ slightly. Depending on this, treatment is determined. Meningitis manifests itself in elevated temperature, swelling of the skin, tachycardia, and weakness. Itching also occurs.
The disease manifests itself due to infection by viruses or bacteria. It is usually caused by meningococci, streptococci, and salmonella. Purulent meningitis appears due to sinusitis, otitis, fistula, pneumonia, furunculosis.

The disease must be treated immediately after its signs are detected. Complications include hearing loss, mental retardation, epilepsy, strabismus, and paralysis of the limbs. To the very terrible consequences are considered fatal. If appropriate treatment for the frontal part of the head is not prescribed, then a few days later the person will die. Meningitis causes itching, which requires comprehensive treatment to eliminate.

Treatment of meningitis

Experts undertake to treat the disease with the following therapy:

Antibacterial agents;
. sulfa drugs;
. diuretics;
. glucocorticosteroids;
. aminazine;
. albumen.

Specific remedies are prescribed based on the extent of the disease. The procedures must be performed regularly, and then the treatment will definitely have an effect.

Treatment of meningitis and vascular vasculitis

You should not resort to self-medication, since such diseases cannot be treated with herbs. Sometimes the medicine Prednisolone is prescribed. The drug inhibits the effect of the immune system on the walls of blood vessels. You just need to follow the recommendations for use provided by your doctor.
It is important to follow the rules of treatment, otherwise there is a risk of becoming chronic.

Complications include:

Strabismus;
. mental retardation;
. epilepsy;
. hearing and vision loss;
. renal failure.

If you start treatment on time, there will be no complications. It involves compliance with comprehensive measures, which increases the chances of a speedy recovery.

Treating inflammation at home

Additional procedures include:

Haircut;
. keeping feet and hands warm;
. applying wet compresses to the head;
. state of rest;
. airing the room.

These rules will allow you to recover from head inflammation much faster. An integrated approach is needed, and then recovery will come faster.

Prevention of meningitis and head inflammation

It is necessary to undergo vaccination for mumps, measles, and chicken pox;
. do not visit places with outbreaks of encephalitis;
. In the morning you should wear long sleeves.

It is important to carry out treatment and prevention of the disease under the supervision of a doctor. This will avoid many negative consequences.

Encephalitis of the brain is a whole group inflammatory diseases of this organ, and inflammation can be caused not only by an infectious pathogen, but also by infectious-allergic processes and the action of toxic substances. Consequently, there are many causes for cerebral encephalitis. Encephalitis caused by each specific cause has its own characteristics, but the general symptoms nevertheless remain. Symptoms of encephalitis vary and depend on the area of ​​the brain affected. Treatment depends on the cause and is aimed at restoring brain tissue and its functions. In this article you can get acquainted with the main causes, symptoms and treatment methods of encephalitis.

Encephalitis can be an independent disease, in which case it is primary. If encephalitis develops as part of a general disease (that is, it is one of the symptoms), then it is called secondary.

The causes of primary encephalitis can be:

• viruses (arboviruses that cause tick-borne and mosquito-borne encephalitis, Coxsackie and ECHO viruses, herpes viruses, rabies virus, and so on);
• microbes and rickettsia (causative agents of syphilis, typhus).

The causes of secondary encephalitis are:

Separately, there are situations when the cause of the development of encephalitis is allergic and toxic processes in the brain, but such cases are much less common. Infectious pathogen most often causes encephalitis.

Symptoms

Encephalitis is a disease that is accompanied by a whole group of symptoms. They can be divided into:

• general inflammatory reactions of the body;
• cerebral symptoms;
• focal symptoms (indicating which part of the brain is affected).

Depending on the cause of encephalitis (infection, allergy or toxic effects), one or another group of symptoms may be more severe. For example, with encephalitis with a bacterial and viral onset, the general inflammatory reactions of the body will be more pronounced than with the allergic nature of the process, but the diagnosis of encephalitis is valid only if all three groups of symptoms are present.

General inflammatory reactions of the body

After incubation period(the time from the moment the pathogen enters the body until the first symptoms appear) general weakness, malaise, a feeling of weakness and fatigue occur. Sleep and appetite are disturbed. Aches appear in the body and muscles, and there is a feeling of “twisting” in the joints. Body temperature rises to 38°C - 40°C. Possible manifestations of catarrh of the upper respiratory tract(mucous discharge from the nose, sore throat, coughing, etc.) or the occurrence of disorders gastrointestinal tract, a rash may appear on the body. All these symptoms are nonspecific (occur in other diseases) and depend on the type of pathogen. Not every encephalitis is accompanied by all of the listed symptoms.

General cerebral symptoms

This subgroup of symptoms includes:

• disturbance of consciousness;
• headache;
• dizziness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• increased sensitivity of the senses;
• generalized convulsive seizures;
• mental disorders.

Impaired consciousness can range from minor confusion (the patient is slightly inhibited and does not immediately answer questions) to coma. Moreover, a comatose state can develop almost at lightning speed.

Headache is an almost obligatory sign of encephalitis. It can be very diverse in nature (dull, sharp, aching, pulsating, shooting, drilling, and so on) and intensity, and tends to increase. Headache may be associated with intoxication of the body, or may be the result of impaired blood circulation and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.

Dizziness also tends to get worse and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, the latter not always bringing relief and may recur several times.

Characterized by so-called hyperesthesia ( increased sensitivity) sense organs: fear of light and noise, perception of tactile touches as painful.

Generalized epileptic seizures may be one of the first signs of encephalitis. They appear as a result of irritation of brain tissue.

Mental disorders in encephalitis are acute and emotionally excessive manifestations. Usually these are delusions, hallucinations and even psychosis. The patient may suddenly develop psychomotor agitation, during which he has absolutely no control over his actions and behaves inappropriately. Just like other general cerebral symptoms, mental disorders can increase. A situation is possible when, after an attack of hallucinations or psychomotor agitation, the patient falls into a coma.

Encephalitis: causes, signs, treatment, prevention – tick-borne, viral

Scientists of antiquity probably encountered such a severe pathology as encephalitis, but since medical knowledge was just in its infancy, there were no accurate diagnostic methods, and there was no understanding of microorganisms at all, inflammatory processes in the brain, often accompanied by an increase in body temperature, were simply classified as fevers, a change consciousnesses in which no one is surprised to this day.

As medical science has developed, sufficient evidence has accumulated that inflammation is possible not only in tissues visible to the eye, but also in internal organs, and the brain is no exception. Neurological symptoms in the background clear signs intoxication and fever makes it possible to suspect encephalitis already upon examination of the patient, although the exact cause of the disease cannot always be determined.

The causes and forms of brain inflammation are quite diverse, but A special place is occupied by tick-borne encephalitis, which is a dangerous independent disease, often leading to a tragic outcome. We will pay special attention to tick-borne encephalitis a little lower.

Despite the variety of causes and types of encephalitis, its manifestations are quite stereotypical in severe cases of the disease, but if inflammation of the nervous tissue accompanies other ailments, then recognizing encephalitis as such is not so easy. It happens, for example, that changes in consciousness, headache, vomiting and other signs of trouble in the brain are attributed to intoxication, fever, and dehydration. By and large, if encephalitis is secondary in other serious illnesses and develops as a complication, then the patient by that time already receives quite wide range medications, and the hospital has the ability to quickly conduct relevant studies. This cannot be said about a special form of brain damage – tick-borne encephalitis. A tick bite does not make everyone want to examine it for infection, and then the disease can take them by surprise.

Inflammation of brain tissue is a serious process that, at worst, dooms death, and at best, severe changes in the activity of the nervous system and natural disability. A relatively favorable outcome with encephalitis, although it does happen, is quite rare, so any suspicious symptoms regarding brain damage should not go unnoticed by the doctor.

Types and causes of inflammation in the brain

Depending on the reason, there are:

1. Encephalitis of infectious origin (viral, bacterial, fungal).
2. Toxic encephalitis due to poisoning with various poisons.
3. Autoimmune encephalitis.
4. Post-vaccination.

In most cases, encephalitis is caused by viruses or bacteria that enter the brain with blood or lymph flow. Some microorganisms immediately choose nervous tissue as the most favorable habitat for themselves (neurotropic viruses), while others end up there during a severe course of an infectious disease of another localization.

With influenza, measles, HIV infection, rubella or chickenpox, brain damage is secondary and characteristic of severe forms of these diseases, while rabies, herpes viruses, tick-borne encephalitis initially they select nervous tissue for their vital functions, without affecting other organs. Most neurotropic viruses tend to cause epidemic outbreaks of disease with clear seasonality and geographical features. In hot countries with an abundance of blood-sucking insects, in the taiga, where tick activity is very high, outbreaks of encephalitis are recorded quite often, so caution among medical workers in these regions is extremely high during periods of maximum risk of infection, and the population is informed about possible consequences diseases and is actively vaccinated.

map of the predominant distribution of viral tick-borne encephalitis

Bacterial encephalitis is somewhat less common; it can occur with purulent inflammation and involvement of soft tissue in the process. meninges(meningoencephalitis).

The main route of spread of infection to the brain is considered to be hematogenous (through the bloodstream), when after a mosquito or tick bite, viruses enter the bloodstream and are sent to the nervous tissue. Contact and household transmission, airborne droplets (herpes), and nutritional transmission through the gastrointestinal tract (enteroviruses) cannot be excluded.

However, microbes are not always the cause of brain damage. In some cases, encephalitis develops against the background of the toxic effects of various poisons (heavy metals, carbon monoxide), autoimmune process, allergic reaction.

Frequent vaccinations and failure to comply with the dates specified in the vaccination calendar can also cause inflammation of the brain. The most dangerous vaccines in this regard are DPT vaccines, against smallpox and rabies, which can contain live microorganisms and, under certain conditions, cause complications in the form of brain damage.

It is often not possible to establish the exact cause of the disease, so the localization, prevalence and course of encephalitis are also taken into account. If the inflammatory process began initially in the brain, and the changes are limited to the nervous tissue, then encephalitis will be called primary. In this case, most often the culprit will be a neurotropic virus. ABOUT secondary encephalitis they say when there are prerequisites for the subsequent involvement of the brain in the pathological process in other diseases: severe measles or flu, immunity disorders, malignant tumors, autoimmune process, HIV infection, etc. The identification of these forms is reflected in subsequent treatment tactics patient.

The inflammatory process may primarily affect the white matter of the brain ( leukoencephalitis), or gray (bark), then they talk about polioencephalitis. Inflammation of both white and gray matter, together with the nerve pathways, represents the most severe form of brain damage - panencephalitis. In some cases, not only the substance of the brain is involved, but also its membranes, in particular the vascular membrane; this condition is called meningoencephalitis.

What happens with encephalitis?

Changes in nervous tissue during encephalitis are quite stereotypical, and only in some cases can signs of a specific disease be detected (rabies, for example). The significance for the body and the consequences of any inflammatory changes in the brain are always serious, so there is no need to once again remind us of their danger.

Swelling, hemorrhages, accumulations of inflammatory blood cells (leukocytes), destruction of the membranes and processes of neurons themselves lead to irreversible changes, and the low ability of nervous tissue to regenerate does not give patients a chance for a favorable outcome and restoration of lost functions.

The structures of the subcortical nuclei, white matter, medulla oblongata and brainstem are often damaged, therefore, the manifestations are not limited to general cerebral symptoms, and the indispensable companions of such encephalitis will be paralysis, respiratory failure, cardiovascular system function, etc.

In addition to damage to nerve cells, the patient's condition is aggravated by increasing cerebral edema, which certainly accompanies any inflammation, regardless of its nature and location. Enlarged in volume, the edematous brain does not fit well into the cranium, increases, and the patient's condition progressively worsens. Along with damage to vital nerve centers, swelling may cause fatal outcome with encephalitis.

With a bacterial infection, the inflammation often takes on a purulent character, spreading to the pia mater. In such cases, in addition to foci of purulent melting in the brain tissue, a kind of “cap” or, as they are also called, “purulent cap” is formed, enveloping the already suffering brain. This condition is very, very dangerous, and delay medical care may cost lives.

Manifestations of encephalitis

Signs of encephalitis are determined by the cause, the localization of the source of inflammation, the course of the disease, but in most cases, against the background of focal neurological changes, they are expressed and general symptoms brain damage. These include:

• , often intense, all over the head, without clear localization.
• Nausea and vomiting, which does not bring relief, which makes it possible to exclude pathology of the gastrointestinal tract in favor of the brain.
• Impaired consciousness - from mild drowsiness to coma with loss of response to external stimuli.
• A fever in which the temperature usually exceeds a threshold of 38 degrees and is difficult to reduce because it is associated with damage to the corresponding brain structures.

The focal symptoms of encephalitis are determined by which part of the brain the pathological changes are most pronounced. Thus, patients may lose the ability to coordinate movements when the cerebellum is involved, vision is impaired when the occipital lobe is affected, pronounced changes intellectual sphere and behavioral reactions accompany inflammation in the frontal lobes.

Encephalitis can occur in the form of the so-called abortive form when symptoms of brain damage are limited to moderate pain in the head and stiff neck. If such symptoms, fever, or signs of respiratory or gastrointestinal infection are present, it is necessary to examine the cerebrospinal fluid to exclude brain pathology.

Tick-borne encephalitis

Having set out to learn a little more about inflammatory processes in the brain, it is easy to notice that most of the information on this problem is devoted to tick-borne encephalitis. This is not surprising, since tick-borne encephalitis, being an independent disease, affects absolutely healthy people of any age and gender, and the seasonality and mass nature of infection with the infectious agent force not only health workers, but also people at risk to understand the essence of the disease.

The danger of tick-borne encephalitis is that in almost all cases it leaves behind persistent neurological disorders, which not only limit the subsequent life of the person who has been ill, but also capable of chaining him to bed forever. In children, the disease is more severe than in adults, and residual effects and dangerous consequences can radically change the life of a little person, not for the better.

A little history

The first published descriptions of a seasonal disease that occurs with damage to the nervous system appeared at the end of the 19th century. In the first third of the last century, large-scale Scientific research, which bore fruit: the pathogen (virus) was isolated, the carrier (tick) was identified, the clinical picture of the disease was described in detail, treatment approaches were developed and, very importantly, preventive measures.

However, the study of tick-borne encephalitis, like any other infectious disease, did not pass without tragic episodes when the dedicated work of scientists led to their death.

The development of Siberia and the Far East in the 30s of the last century, the development of industry and the strengthening of the border required an influx of qualified personnel into these regions, and along with the construction of numerous correctional institutions led to the resettlement of a huge number of people for whom the climate and natural features of the area were alien. It was then that massive outbreaks of seasonal disease affecting the central nervous system attracted the attention of A.G. Panov. Already in 1937, an expedition was organized under the leadership of Professor L.A. Zilber, whose participants began to closely study the nature of encephalitis.

dog and taiga ticks - both can be carriers of encephalitis

Thanks to the efforts of virologists, infectious disease specialists, with the active help of Khabarovsk neurologists who had first-hand knowledge of the dangerous disease, the causative agent of the infection was identified, which turned out to be a virus, as well as the most likely carrier - the ixodid tick, whose favorite habitat is considered to be taiga regions.

The disease spared no one. Most of those bitten by a tick develop encephalitis, and the risk fatal outcome remained and remains quite high. Among the victims of the insidious infection are many scientists, employees of virology laboratories, doctors who conducted research in field conditions. So, one of the pioneers viral nature tick-borne encephalitis M.P. Chumakov contracted the infection during the autopsy of a deceased patient. Acute form The disease became chronic and haunted the scientist until the end of his life. Without looking at the hearing impairment and movement disorders, Academician Chumakov continued to work actively long years, and bequeathed his body for research chronic form encephalitis, which lasted for decades. One of the entomologists, B.I. Pomerantsev, who searched for the carrier of the infection, died after being bitten by a tick from a severe form of encephalitis.

There was also politics. Soon after the start of the expedition, at the height of research work Its leader, Professor Zilber, and two other employees were arrested, who were suspected of spreading Japanese encephalitis in the region, but the accusation was false, and 1937 was marked by the discovery of the tick-borne encephalitis virus thanks to dedicated Russian scientists.

Where does the infection come from?

As noted above, tick-borne encephalitis is common in the forest and forest-steppe zones of Siberia, the Urals, the Far East, and is found in many countries of the central and western part of the Eurasian continent (France, Germany, Poland, Belarus, the Baltic region). Cases of tick-borne encephalitis have also been recorded in Mongolia and the wooded part of China. Every year in Russia alone, more than half a million people, including children, seek medical help after a tick bite. The infection is especially severe among residents of the Far East, where the incidence of severe complications and deaths is especially high.

prevalence of encephalitis in Russian regions (incidence per 100,000 people)

In nature, the tick-borne encephalitis virus is found in animals and birds - rodents, wolves, moose, large livestock, which serve as a source of food for ticks, infecting them in the process. A person ends up among them by chance, but for a tick it doesn’t matter whose blood it feeds on and to whom it transmits the virus.

There is a pronounced seasonality of the disease, the peak of which occurs in the spring-summer period. The culprits for this are also ixodid ticks, which, after a long winter hibernation, crawl to the surface and begin hunting. Ticks hunt in the literal sense, that is, they wait for the victim and attack.

Hungry ticks prefer to wait for prey in shady bushes or grass, crawling out of the forest floor and spreading upward to a height of up to one and a half meters. This happens if you visit the forest, but you need to remember that the tick itself can “come” into the house: with flowers, branches, clothes, pets, so even a family member who avoids forest walks can suffer.

Thanks to the ability to sense changes in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the environment and thermal radiation, The tick accurately detects the approach of a food source and attacks. Lacking the ability to jump or fly, it clings or falls onto its prey. On the human body, the tick always crawls upward, reaching the thin and delicate skin of the neck, abdomen, chest, and axillary areas. Since the saliva of insects contains substances with anticoagulant and anesthetic properties, the bite may not be noticeable immediately, so it will not be possible to brush it off like a mosquito or midge. Moreover, if females attach themselves for a long period of time, then males do it quickly, so the very fact of a tick bite may go unnoticed, then the cause of the malaise and subsequent development of the disease cannot be immediately established. The female can remain on the human body for many days, and only after being saturated with blood and increasing in weight by several tens, or even a hundred times, does it leave the victim.

The risk group for viral tick-borne encephalitis includes foresters and other workers whose activities involve visiting forests, geologists, road builders, tourists, avid lovers of picking mushrooms and berries, or simply walking and having picnics in nature. In areas where encephalitis is endemic, this may be unsafe.

You can become infected with tick-borne encephalitis not only in the forest, but also in city parks and squares, gardens and summer cottages. It’s worth remembering this when planning to walk in the shade of trees, even within city limits.

In addition to the vector-borne route of transmission of infection (through an insect bite), cases of infection have been described when consuming raw goat or cow milk. This happens in children who are given raw milk private farmsteads. Boiling destroys the encephalitis virus, so you should not neglect such a simple procedure, especially when it comes to the little ones.

Features of the course of tick-borne encephalitis

The tick-borne encephalitis virus, having entered the bloodstream, is directed to the nervous tissue, affecting the cerebral cortex, white matter, subcortical nuclei, cranial nerves, spinal roots, causing paresis and paralysis, changes in sensitivity. Involvement of various brain structures can cause seizures, impaired consciousness up to coma, and cerebral edema. The older the patient, the higher the risk of complications and severe course disease, and after 60 years the likelihood of death is especially high.

Like any other infection, tick-borne encephalitis occurs with a latent period, during which there may be no signs of the disease at all.

Average the incubation period lasts 1-2 weeks, maximum – 30 days, when the infectious agent multiplies intensively in the human body. By the end of the latent course, weakness, weakness, body aches, fever may appear, that is, symptoms characteristic of many infectious diseases, which is why it is so important to establish the fact of a tick bite, because it is not so easy to suspect encephalitis in such cases.

Depending on the predominance of one or another sign of the disease, forms of tick-borne encephalitis:

1. Feverish.
2. Meningeal.
3. With focal damage to nervous tissue.
4. Chronic variants of the course.

The first three forms are classified as acute encephalitis, and febrile and meningeal varieties account for about 90% of all cases of the disease. Chronic tick-borne encephalitis is diagnosed much less frequently, which can last for years, continuously progressing and leading to persistent neurological disorders.

Without focusing on detailed description various symptoms of damage to the nervous system, it is worth pointing out development in patients of three main syndromes:

1. General infectious nature.
2. Meningeal.
3. Syndrome of focal pathology of the nervous system.

manifestations of encephalitis

Signs of a general infectious nature associated with increased reproduction of the virus and its spread not only to the nervous tissue, but also to other parenchymal organs, as well as effects on the walls of blood vessels. Patients experience severe fever with a temperature rise to 39-40 degrees, chills, weakness, pain in muscles and bones, and possible dyspeptic disorders.

Meningeal syndrome associated with damage to the pia mater and increased intracranial pressure. It includes severe headache, nausea, repeated vomiting that does not bring relief, impaired consciousness, photophobia, convulsions, psychomotor agitation.

Focal neurological impairment syndrome associated with damage to specific parts of the nervous system and manifests itself as paralysis, paresis, impaired sensitivity and cardiovascular function, respiratory system, convulsive syndrome.

Feverish form the disease is characterized favorable prognosis and quick recovery. This is the most soft form course of tick-borne encephalitis, proceeding practically without damage to the nervous tissue by the virus. Symptoms boil down to fever, general signs of an infectious process (nausea, weakness, headache). Fever and flu-like changes last for about three to five days, after which recovery begins.

Meningeal variant The course of encephalitis is considered the most common, and manifestations include headache, sore eyes, nausea and vomiting. In addition to the characteristic symptoms, changes can also be detected cerebrospinal fluid. Signs of damage to the meninges in the form of stiffness of the muscles of the back of the head and others meningeal symptoms It can be easily determined by a health worker of any specialty, so diagnosing this form of the disease after a tick bite does not cause great difficulties. The fever lasts about one to two weeks, and then recovery occurs. The meningeal form is considered favorable, although the consequences in the form of headaches can accompany the patient for quite a long time.

Form of tick-borne encephalitis with focal neurological disorders the rarest and, at the same time, the most severe in terms of course and consequences. Mortality with it reaches 40% with the Far Eastern type of infection. With simultaneous damage to the meninges and the substance of the brain (meningoencephalitis), the course of the disease is very severe: fever, nausea and vomiting, headache, convulsions up to epistatus, impaired consciousness in the form of delirium, hallucinations, coma. The recovery process takes up to 2 years or more, and the consequences in the form of paralysis and muscle atrophy last a lifetime.

In addition to the cerebral hemispheres, damage to the brain stem, spinal roots and peripheral nerves is possible. These cases are accompanied by persistent paralysis, severe pain and inevitably lead to serious disorders that transform previously healthy person into a disabled person, bedridden, unable to move or even speak. Such patients remain deeply disabled and require constant care and supervision, since even eating becomes a problem.

In children, the disease is severe and is more often recorded in boys of primary school age. The forms of infection are similar to those described for adults. Symptoms of brain damage develop rapidly and leave consequences in the form of paralysis, etc. Children more often than adults experience complications in the form of convulsive syndrome and hyperkinesis - involuntary excessive movements limbs, head, torso, sometimes persisting for life. Since a child often does not know about the danger of tick bites, and even more so, does not carefully examine the skin after walking in the forest or park, the task of prevention and timely detection of blood-sucking insects lies with the parents.

Video: consequences of tick-borne encephalitis

Detection and treatment of tick-borne encephalitis

Diagnosis of encephalitis is based on characteristic clinical picture, data on visits to forests, the presence of tick suction. Used to confirm the diagnosis laboratory methods, making it possible to detect specific antibodies (proteins) produced in the patient’s body in response to the introduction of the virus. When visiting a doctor, the first thing the patient will be asked to do is donate blood, which may contain elevated white blood cells, accelerated ESR, but these changes are nonspecific and accompany many other diseases, which is why it is so important to serological studies to search for antibodies.

No less important is analysiscerebrospinal fluid, in which the content of lymphocytes and protein increases, and its leakage under pressure indicates intracranial hypertension. It is worth noting that it is not always possible to examine cerebrospinal fluid. For example, in coma and dysfunction medulla oblongata this manipulation is contraindicated, and doctors are forced to wait for the patient’s condition to stabilize. At the same time, with relatively light febrile form diseases, there are no changes in the cerebrospinal fluid, and diagnosis is based on the search for antiviral antibodies.

Can bring invaluable benefits mite analysis for the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in it, which is why it is so important not only to remove it when detected on the body, but also to preserve it and transfer it to the appropriate laboratory. If fears regarding tick infection are confirmed, then it is possible to prevent the disease in advance and begin treatment as early as possible.

Treatment of tick-borne encephalitis requires mandatory hospitalization in the intensive care unit. Patients are shown strict bed rest minimizing all kinds of irritants. Balanced diet plays an important role, especially since the infection is often accompanied by dysfunction of the digestive organs.

Prescribed therapy includes:

Video: what to do after suffering from encephalitis?

Prevention of tick-borne encephalitis

The rule “a disease is easier to prevent than to treat” works very well in relation to tick-borne infections, and therefore preventive measures are of paramount importance in areas where the disease is spreading.

Prevention of tick-borne encephalitis includes nonspecific measures that it is advisable to observe and know for those who live in dangerous areas and visit tick habitats. Specific prevention consists of using vaccines according to developed schemes.

When visiting forests and other tick habitats, you need to follow simple rules:

1. Clothing should be as closed as possible, overalls are preferred, a scarf or cap is required, and it is better to protect the neck and head with a hood. The collar, sleeve cuffs, and socks should fit snugly to the surface of the skin. If possible, you should wear light-colored and plain clothes so that in the event of a tick attack, it will be easier to notice. At home, clothes should be shaken out and it is advisable to leave them away from living quarters;
2. It is useful to examine the skin as often as possible, not only yourself, but also ask others, because the scalp, back, and back of the neck are quite problematic to carefully examine even with the help of a mirror;
3. Plants and other objects brought from the forest may well become a source of ticks for all family members, so it is better to avoid such “souvenirs”. Pets should also be examined, because they too can become victims of “bloodsuckers”;
4. If you need to spend the night in the forest, it is better to choose places without grass, open areas with sandy soil to minimize the likelihood of tick attacks;
5. The use of repellents applied to the skin, as well as acaricides for treating clothing, helps protect against insects, so do not neglect this method of prevention. Children should be handled by adults, and when walking with kids, you need to take into account their tendency to put their fingers in their mouths, so it is better to leave their hands untreated.

If a tick does attack, you need to remove it correctly or contact medical institution (trauma center, ambulance station). At home, to remove the “bloodsucker,” the bite site should be lubricated with vegetable oil, and the tick should be grabbed with tweezers or a thread, tied around the neck, while making rocking movements, as if twisting the insect from the skin. It happens that when you try to remove a tick, its body comes off, but the head remains in the skin. In such cases, you should immediately contact a specialist, as the risk of infection remains.

infographic: Belta

Specific prevention of tick-borne encephalitis consists of vaccination of the population with endemic disease areas, as well as visitors. Among local residents, the proportion of vaccinated people should not be lower than 95%, and special attention is paid to people whose professional activity associated with staying in tick habitats.

The standard of vaccination is to administer the drug twice, followed by revaccination once a year. The effect will be if vaccination is carried out at least two weeks before leaving for an endemic focus or before the start of the epidemic season. Vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis can be done either urgently in case of tick infestation or routinely. standard scheme, implying at least one revaccination. Emergency prevention is carried out on the first day after an insect bite.

In addition to tick-borne encephalitis, there are, although much less frequently, secondary inflammatory processes in the brain that complicate the course of other diseases - tumors of the hematopoietic system, sepsis, measles and chickenpox, and traumatic injuries. Approaches to therapy for such conditions are determined by the nature of the underlying disease and symptoms of brain damage.

In case of tick-borne infections, vigilance and caution when visiting the habitats of blood-sucking insects, timely detection and removal of the tick, vaccination and early contact with specialists can significantly reduce the risk of infection, as well as improve the results of therapy in the development of encephalitis.

Video: encephalitis in the program “Live Healthy!”

Syphilism is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The causative agent of the disease is the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Modern medicine can easily cope with this disease, but if the patient is not treated, then he will face a slow and painful death with large spectrum symptoms.

According to 2014 data, 26 people per 100 thousand population of our country are sick with syphilis. Morbidity venereal diseases is decreasing at a slow pace, so the government is educating the population about STDs. Awareness about STD prevention helps to avoid serious problems with the health of both young people and adults.

Syphilitic infection symptoms

Once in the human body, the bacterium Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, goes through an incubation period that lasts from 1 to 6 weeks. At this time, the person is unaware of the infection, as he has no signs of illness. Even most tests cannot detect the disease at this stage. Eat high probability that the patient will infect several sexual partners with syphilis, unaware of the consequences of his actions.
The first signs of the disease appear after the end of the incubation period with the onset of primary syphilis. They can be located on the skin in the form of hard chancre, multiple chancre, syphilitic rash, baldness (cutaneous syphilides) and on the mucous membranes - chancre in the mouth, on the genitals, rash on the mucous membranes (syphilides of the mucous membranes).

Symptoms of syphilitic infection in women

The end of the asymptomatic period is marked by the appearance of the first sign of infection (3-4 weeks after infection). A hard chancre forms where the bacterium enters. Its appearance indicates the primary stage of syphilis. Hard chancre is formed as an immune response to the introduction of Treponema pallidum. It is localized in the mouth, in the area of ​​the external and internal genital organs, and in the anus.

A chancre is a round inflammatory growth with a flat base. In the initial stages of its appearance there is practically no pain. Appears at sites of infection. If treatment is not carried out, then a syphilitic rash is added to the chancre on visible parts of the body and on mucous membranes.

Signs of syphilism in men

In men, as in women, the first noticeable sign of infection appears in the form of a chancre. Ulcers often form on the penis, at its base and on the head. However, it can also appear in the oral cavity, on the scrotum, and in the anus. The symptoms and course of the disease are practically no different in the male and female parts of the population. Further description of syphilism will be given without division by gender.

How does sifak manifest in women?

• The primary stage of sifak in women begins with the detection of hard chancre on the skin or mucous membranes. On initial stage it does not cause serious discomfort. Then a gradual inflammation of the chancre occurs, it takes on a red or bluish color, characteristic of severe inflammatory process.
• During the first week after the first symptoms appear, inflammation begins in women lymph nodes and vessels near the chancre (regional scleradenitis). The lymph nodes become inflamed in the form of balls, forming significant edema and swelling around the chancre. If the sore is localized in the oral cavity, it threatens with inflammation of one tonsil and swelling of the throat, making it difficult to swallow and breathe. Symptoms cause significant distress when verbal communication and eating. Scleradenitis in the genital area makes walking and defecation difficult.

Photo: Jarun Ontakrai/Shutterstock.com

The end of primary and the beginning of secondary syphilis is considered to be the appearance of a specific rash on the patient’s body. Modern methods diagnostics make it possible to detect syphilism immediately after the first symptoms appear. Most often used linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction(PCR). These tests are prescribed by a therapist at a clinic or a venereologist at a dermatovenereal dispensary. average cost analysis costs 500 rubles. It should be remembered that the analysis will be timely only at the stage of primary syphilis. More early tests will not show anything other than a seronegative reaction, indicating the absence of Treponema pallidum in the body.

Symptoms of secondary syphilis

• The skin around the chancre becomes covered with spots and ulcers with a diameter of up to 15 mm. The rash can grow and unite into large areas on the skin and mucous surfaces, causing the patient severe discomfort. There are three types of syphilitic rash.
  Roseola rash - pink or red spots with clear or blurred boundaries 5-50 mm in diameter. There are no cavities. Do not protrude above the skin.
  Papular rash - small conical growths of pink color. May peel off at the top of the cone. This kind of cheese looks extremely unpleasant.
  Pustular rash - growths with purulent cavities.
• Along with the appearance of a rash, damage to the nervous system may begin. Degradation of nervous tissue negatively affects vision, memory, attention, and coordination of movements. Unfortunately, treatment of the disease will not lead to the restoration of lost functions of the central nervous system, but will only stop the process of further damage to the nervous tissue.
• Signs of partial or complete baldness appear. Hair falls out, usually on the head. First, the quality of the hairline deteriorates: the hair splits, becomes thinner, and thins out. Then the hair thinning intensifies and large bald patches of skin appear. After recovery from syphilis, hair growth does not renew.

Stages of syphilis

Nowadays, every person infected with Treponema pallidum can quickly and efficiently receive adequate and effective treatment. Only a few go through all stages of syphilis. Without treatment, a person lives in terrible agony for 10 or even 20 years, after which he dies.
Below is short description stages of syphilis.
Incubation stage

Stage of primary syphilis

Stage of secondary syphilis. It is divided into four stages of the disease. In the absence of adequate treatment, the order will be approximately as follows:

Stage of tertiary syphilis. It is divided into three stages of the disease. In the absence of adequate treatment, the order will be as follows:

Neurosyphilis begins towards the end of secondary syphilis. Usually manifests itself in the form of the following diagnoses:

• Asymptomatic neurosyphilis – in which there are no painful manifestations yet, but tests already show inflammation and infection of the cerebrospinal fluid. This stage of neurosyphilis usually begins a year and a half after infection.
• Gummy neurosyphilis - accompanied by the formation of gummas inside the brain and spinal cord. This is a painful symptom that feels like a large tumor, causes permanent pain, and causes an increase in pressure inside the patient’s skull.
• Syphilitic meningitis is a lesion of the membranes of the brain at the base and in the area of ​​the cranial vault. Accompanied by severe symptoms, including disturbances of attention, thinking, memory, and the emotional sphere of a person.
• Meningovascular form of neurosyphilis - destroys the blood vessels of the brain, accompanied by chronic meningitis. In the absence of therapy, it leads to headaches, personality changes, behavior changes, sleep is disturbed, and convulsions begin. This ultimately leads to strokes.
• Tabes dorsalis - a disorder nerve fibers spinal cord, their thinning and dysfunction. This leads to an irreversible impairment of the ability to move in space: the gait is bent, the patient may fall, losing the feeling of the ground under his feet. When you close your eyes, you lose orientation in space.
• Progressive paralysis - causes dysfunction of the central nervous system, accompanied by personality disorders, behavior dangerous to society, and all higher mental functions are degraded. A person turns into a madman and can easily end up in a psychiatric clinic if he is not diagnosed with syphilis. Ultimately, progressive paralysis leads to complete paralysis of the body.
• Optic nerve atrophy - degradation visual function. At first, the vision of only one eye deteriorates, but gradually the infection approaches the second optic nerve. Leads to complete blindness, if not treated. Changes in visual apparatus are irreversible.
• Late visceral syphilis is degradation of tissues of internal organs. Mainly the cardiovascular system and liver are affected. Other organs are rarely affected. Patients complain of deterioration in health at the slightest exertion, and they develop systolic heart murmurs due to dilation of the aorta. When late visceral syphilis is localized in the heart, a heart attack can occur.
• Late syphilism of bones and joints - causes local expansion of bones and large joints. Accompanied by the formation of gumma on the bones.

Atypical syphilis

In addition to hard chancre, others, so-called, may also appear at the stage of primary syphilis. atypical chancre. That is why this variant of the development of the disease is called atypical syphilis. Atypical chancres are of the following types:

• Indurative edema.
  Looks like a change in color of the scrotum in men, the clitoris and labia in women. The color varies from scarlet to bluish in the center, turning pale at the edges of the swelling. Women are susceptible to this symptom more often than men. Usually the patient perceives indurative syphilitic edema as an infectious-inflammatory disease of a different kind, since a blood test at this stage of syphilis does not provide information about the real reason swelling. It can be distinguished from another infection by the absence of an inflammatory process in the blood and the presence of inflammation of the lymph nodes.
• Chancre felon.
  May appear in people caring for people with syphilis: medical personnel, relatives. The thumb, index and middle fingers are affected. This is a very painful attack. The skin pulls away from the fingers, revealing large areas of bleeding, similar to second-degree burns. Panaritium is also accompanied by swelling and inflammation of the fingers, which interfere with normal human functioning. Often appears together with chancre of the genital organs.
• Chancroid-amygdalitis.
  It manifests itself in the form of inflammation of one tonsil, and its surface is not disturbed and remains smooth. The oral cavity is subject to severe pain, and the swallowing process becomes difficult. The patient experiences a fever, as if he had a sore throat. The difference from a sore throat is that with amygdalitis, only one tonsil becomes inflamed.

Congenital syphilis

It is highly undesirable for a mother to suffer from illness during pregnancy. The fetus is exposed to Treponema pallidum, which leads to irreversible morphological consequences, disruption intrauterine development.
Medicine knows three main symptoms:

• • Parenchymal keratitis is a pathology of the external epithelium of internal organs and the eyeball. It manifests itself as severe redness and inflammation of the organ on the outside. Sometimes the inflammation penetrates a little deeper into the surface. After healing, scars remain and an eyesore may remain. The most a common consequence for the eye is a decrease in visual acuity. Keratitis is accompanied by clouding visual perception, acute pain, lacrimation.
  • Deafness from birth. The causative agent of syphilis actively destroys nerve tissue fetus during pregnancy. One option may be a pathology of the auditory nerve, which leads to irreversible deafness.
  • Congenital dental anomalies. Occur due to underdevelopment of tooth tissue during fetal development. This pathology is called Hutchinson's teeth. The teeth grow in the shape of a screwdriver with a rounded notch on the cutting edge, and are set sparsely. Sometimes teeth are not completely covered with enamel. Which leads to their early destruction and unflattering appearance.

A child who has had intrauterine syphilis has poor health, even if the mother has successfully completed treatment. If adequate treatment is not followed, the child will have severe deformities and remain disabled for life. If the mother is infected with syphilis, breast-feeding the child should be stopped immediately, as syphilis is transmitted through mother's milk.

If a woman who has previously had syphilis wants to become pregnant, she should be tested for Treponema pallidum (ELISA or PCR). After receiving confirmation of the absence of the disease, you can safely decide to become pregnant.

The causative agent of syphilis

Treponema pallidum is a bacterium that causes syphilis. German scientists in 1905 discovered the cause of one of the most common venereal diseases. Having discovered the bacterial nature of the disease, microbiologists and pharmacists found the key to quickly curing syphilis, and the way was also opened for them to invent methods early diagnosis diseases.

Properties of the pathogen

The bacterium was called pale due to the fact that for a long time scientists could not examine it with a microscope. Transparent color Treponemas are difficult to stain in other colors for subsequent research. For staining, the Romanovsky-Gizma and silver impregnation methods are used, which make it possible to detect bacteria under a dark-field microscope for subsequent study.
It was found that under favorable conditions (it should only be a human or animal body), Treponema pallidum divides every 30 hours. The weak point of Treponema pallidum is that it lives and reproduces only at a temperature of 37 °C. This explains the effectiveness of archaic methods of treating syphilis, when, by artificially increasing the patient’s body temperature to 41 °C with the help of malaria, some relief of the symptoms of the underlying disease occurred.
The length of the bacterium is 8-20 microns with a thickness of 0.25-0.35 microns. Relatively long, its body forms curls in the form of a ball. At the same time, it constantly changes the shape and number of curls due to the ability of the Treponema pallidum cell to contract.

Incubation period

Entering the body through microdamages of the skin and mucous membranes, the causative agent of syphilis begins the incubation period. Dividing at a rate of about once every 30 hours, it accumulates at the site of infection. None visible symptoms not visible. After about a month, a hard chancre forms on the body in combination with inflammation of the lymph nodes next to it. This means the transition from incubation to the stage of primary syphilis. The strength of the immune system varies from patient to patient, which makes for a large variation in length. initial period infection. It can last from 1-2 weeks to six months.

How is syphilis transmitted?

The process of transmission of the pathogen occurs in most cases through sexual contact. Infection is guaranteed through traditional, anal and oral sexual contact, even with a patient in the incubation period. Hard chancre forms where bacteria enter.

When caring for patients, infection is likely through contact with the patient's clothing, his personal belongings, and his body. IN in this case chancre-felon appears, affecting the fingers and toes. This is one of the most painful symptoms in the stage of primary syphilis. Then hard chancre of the genital organs may appear.
Syphilis can also be transmitted through blood. When transfusing contaminated blood, when reusing a patient’s syringe, his razor, scissors, or utensils.

How to treat syphilis

Treatment should begin at the first signs of syphilis. This way the healing process will take place as quickly as possible. Since the 50s of the 20th century, antibiotics have been used in the treatment of syphilis. Penicillin-based drugs were used. Nowadays, drugs based on it are also used, since Treponema pallidum cannot adapt to this species antibiotics. Sufficient doses of penicillin effectively fight the disease. For the treatment of syphilis in patients with allergic reactions for penicillin, use erythromycin or tetracycline.
If the course of the disease has progressed to neurosyphilis, then treatment becomes more complicated. Pyrotherapy (artificial increase in body temperature) is added and intramuscular injection antibacterial drugs.

For tertiary syphilis, highly toxic bismuth-based drugs are used along with antibiotics. Treatment occurs strictly in a hospital with multi-level supportive therapy.

If a patient is diagnosed with primary syphilis, it is necessary to compulsorily treat all his sexual partners with whom he had contact during the last trimester.
If diagnosed secondary syphilis, it is necessary to compulsorily treat all his sexual partners with whom he had contact during the past year.

It is necessary to disinfect all items in the house with which the patient had direct contact: plumbing fixtures, dishes, bedding and underwear, clothing, etc.
Hospitalization for initial stages syphilis is not required, just enough outpatient treatment. Only when severe forms, starting from secondary stage, the patient is admitted to the hospital. Treatment of syphilis by compulsory medical insurance policy is free and anonymous.

It is highly not recommended to cope with the disease using folk remedies. Only well-designed treatment can defeat Treponema pallidum. Otherwise, there is a high probability of the disease progressing to more severe stages.

Which doctor treats sifak disease?

Since sifak is a disease transmitted primarily through sexual contact, treatment is carried out by a venereologist. The patient can contact a general practitioner and receive a referral to a venereologist. The option of direct contact with a skin and venereal disease clinic is possible.

After examination and receipt of test results, the patient is treated either by a venereologist himself, specializing in all STDs, or the patient is referred to a highly specialized specialist - a syphilidologist.

There is a syphilidologist in everyone big city at skin and venereal dispensaries. He can select the most effective dosages of medications and develop a treatment program that must be strictly followed. In case of complications in men (when the head of the penis is pinched), syphilis is treated together with a urologist.
In case of complications in women (chancre in the vagina, on the cervix), you need to go to a gynecologist.

How long to treat syphilis

The duration of treatment for the disease is determined solely by the doctor. Depending on the stage of the disease, complications and general condition body, healing may take from two weeks to six months.

It is very important to know that under no circumstances should you interrupt the course of treatment. If treatment is not completed, the patient will soon experience a relapse. Therefore, treatment must be taken extremely seriously.

Inflammation of the meninges and brain can be formed under the influence of factors such as bacteria (meningococci, pneumococci), viruses and protozoa. Depending on the factor causing the development of the disease, it can be unexpected and very violent (meningococci) or slowly progressive and hidden (tuberculosis).

Brain inflammation can also be caused by non-infectious factors, which include brain tumors, leukemia, lead poisoning, or a drug such as methotrexate.

Causes of inflammation of the meninges and brain

Pneumococci are one...

Among bacteria, the most cases of brain inflammation were recorded as a result of infection Neisseria meningitidis(diplococcus), Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci), Haemophilus influenzae type B, among fungi - Cryptococcus neoformans, Coccidioides immitis.

The main cause of etiological encephalitis are neurotropic viruses. The most common, vesicular inflammation of the brain, is caused by the herpes virus. Inflammation of the brain can also be caused by certain protozoa.

TO non-infectious causes inflammation of the meninges and brain include tumors (leukemia, lymphatic cancer, brain tumors, brain metastases), sarcoidosis, lead poisoning, and the use of certain medicines, for example, methotrexate.

Symptoms of inflammation of the meninges and brain

The disease develops very quickly and its first symptom is headache. In typical cases, in addition to severe headache, nausea and vomiting, fever and chills also occur. The patient exhibits neck rigidity, etc. Brudzinski's symptoms.

This includes:

• neck symptoms– passive flexion of the head to the chest;
• zygomatic symptoms– when pressing on the cheek below the zygomatic arch, the patient reflexively bends his arms at the elbow joints and raises his shoulders;
• pubic symptoms– when pressure is applied to the pubis, the legs bend at the knee and hip joints.

Some patients experience hypersensitivity to irritants, agitation, frustration, and even loss of consciousness. When it comes to brain damage, seizures appear.

Diagnosis and treatment of inflammation of the meninges

Inflammation of the meninges and brain is diagnosed only when the sample is examined cerebrospinal fluid- that is, it will be discovered increased content protein and white blood cell count.

Causal treatment is used, which consists in eradicating the pathogen that caused the disease. Therefore, antimicrobial drugs are used (antibiotics, for example penicillin, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins III generation), antituberculosis and antifungal drugs. In the case of a viral infection, it is impossible to eliminate the cause, so symptomatic treatment is prescribed, and in extremely severe cases, antiviral drugs and interferon.

Vaccines against some pathogens are also available on the market, causing inflammation meninges. These are drugs against meningococci, Haemophilus influenzae type B and tick-borne meningitis virus. Encephalitis and meningitis are considered a serious threat to the patient’s life, since even with a mild course they can lead to serious complications.