Patient's question:
My best friend's dad has been hospitalized these days. The doctor said it's viral encephalitis. What are the typical symptoms of viral encephalitis?Doctor's answer:
The typical symptoms of viral encephalitis include: usually acute onset, with severe headache, fever, nausea, nuchal rigidity, typical meningeal irritation signs such as a positive Kernig sign, and systemic discomfort, sore throat, photophobia, dizziness, mental lethargy, sensory abnormalities, muscle pain, abdominal pain, and chills, etc. Some patients may experience recurrent symptoms such as tonsillitis and blurred vision. Occasionally, strabismus, diplopia, sensory deficits, ataxia, asymmetrical tendon reflexes, and positive pathological reflexes may be observed. Severe cases may develop symptoms of neurological damage, such as coma. Treatment primarily involves antiviral therapy. Viral encephalitis is a relatively serious brain disease, and the time to fully recover is generally slow, with a process lasting at least two weeks.