BLOG THE SECOND; Encephalitis.

THE BANDERSNATCH

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Hey there Earthlings, Alternatives and Trollers. Put down that mouse and lend an ear. Welcome to The Bandersnatch blog where we talk weird, wacky and wondrous. I'm Mama Ogre and I have no idea what I'm doing.

Random blog day boo yah. As you should know Fridays is random blog day were we talk anything and everything and pretty much run with it. Today's blog is on something I've definitely had experience with and its Encephalitis.

Encephalitis is in basic terms an inflammation of the brain. It can vary in its severity and symptoms can include headaches, fever, confusion, vomiting and surprisingly a stiff neck.........which can or could be mistaken for other illnesses. Complications could include fits/seizures, hallucinations and problems with memory, speaking and hearing. There are five variants of encephalitis Viral Encephalitis (usually caused by an acute infection), Bacterial Encephalitis (caused by a bacterial infection), Limbic Encephalitis (usually an inflammation confined to the limbic system of the brain symptoms include disorientation, disinhibition, memory loss, seizures and behavioural anomalies), Autoimmune Encephalitis (usually caused by deceases, Anti-NDMA receptor Encephalitis is the most common form in women in the 18-45 age range and accompanied by ovarian teratoma -ie ovarian tumor-) and Encephalitis Lethargica (usually identified by high fever, delayed physical response and lethargy......there's no known cause of this one but the last epidemic was from 1917 to 1928).

Identification of encephalitis usually include the Cerebal Edema, status Epilepticus and Thrombocytopenia. Diagnosis can be done through a variety of tests such as an MRI, an EEG, a Lumbar Puncture (a spinal tap), blood tests, urine analysis and a PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) of the Cerebrospinal fluid (a colourless body fluid found in the brain and spinal cord) this is done to detect the viral DNA of Viral Encephalitis.

Encephalitis can end up being an epidemic (Look up Encephalitis Lethargica its epidemic lasted over 10 years). In western countries there are 7.4 cases to every 100,000 people whilst in tropical countries its 6.34 per 100,000 people. Back in 2015 encephalitis was estimated to have effected 4.3 million people with a result of 150,00 deaths worldwide. So whilst it is survivable especially if caught early people can still die from it.

There are various treatments which can help with Encephalitis such as Antiviral Meds (if virus is cause), Antibiotics (If bacteria is cause) steroids (to help reduce brain swelling), sedatives (for restlessness) and acetaminophen (for fever) there's also occupational and physical therapy as well. There are vaccinations against tick borne and Japanese encephalitis and should be/recommended for at-risk individuals. Post infections encephalomyelitis and small pox vaccination are avoidable.

Now I had encephalitis as a baby and i almost died from it.  My mum noticed I wasn't acting normal for me and decided to take me to the doctor. It was at her insistence I have some tests to see what it was. I ended up being diagnosed with it and was taken to Guys hospital in London. I recovered and I'm 99% OK. All issues I have are with memory and language though i did spend my childhood with intermittent fits and migraines(I still suffer from erratic migraines).

And there you have it a dangerous illness indeed, its definitely under the banner of seek immediate help if suspected. So we'll be leaving this here for today please leave a comment, share with others if you want or not Tuesday is book blog day and remember all abuse will be tracked and reported to the appropriate people.

THIS IS THE BANDERSNATCH, I'M MAMA OGRE AND REMEMBER STAY WEIRD, STAY WACKY, STAY WONDEROUS AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON...