Encephalopathy - what is it? Causes and forms of the disease

Encephalopathy is a term that unites a group of different diseases. But regardless of origin, such diseases are always accompanied by a brain damage and a violation of its normal functioning. Why does encephalopathy occur, what is it, and what symptoms are accompanied? These questions are of interest to many.

Congenital encephalopathy and its causes

Quite often, such a disease is congenital. In some cases, genetic factors are the cause of congenital damage. But most often the lesions of the nervous system are nothing more than the result of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) developing against the background of some complications of pregnancy. Birth injuries of the fetus, early placental abruption, taking certain medications, as well as complications during childbirth - are all considered to be risk factors.

As a rule, perinatal encephalopathy is diagnosed in the maternity department. In patients with babies, heartbeat is disturbed, and the sucking reflex is either weakly manifested or completely absent. Children with encephalopathy are extremely restless, often cry, too sensitive to light and sounds.

Dyscirculatory encephalopathy: what is it?

Damage to the brain can also be acquired. And quite often in medical practice, there is discirculatory encephalopathy. What it is? Such a disease is associated with a violation of the normal circulation in the central nervous system, which leads to a violation of trophism and oxygen starvation. The reasons for the development of this condition can be different: it's atherosclerosis, and hypertension, as well as degenerative changes in the spine, heart disease, etc. To date, it is common to distinguish three main degrees of this form of the disease:

• At the first degree there is a slight lesion of the nervous tissues, which is accompanied by sleep disorders, headaches, increased irritability and anxiety, as well as a decrease in memory.
• In the second stage, the lesions become deeper, and the symptoms, respectively, are much more pronounced. The signs of the disease include permanent headaches, lethargy and apathy.
• Encephalopathy of the third degree is the most dangerous, since it is difficult to treat. There are violations of speech, convulsions and tremors, paresis of limbs, mental disorders.

Are there other causes of brain damage?

In fact, modern medicine knows many factors, the impact of which can lead to damage to the nervous system. For example, the syndrome of encephalopathy can be associated with a craniocerebral trauma and edema of the brain. To the reasons it is possible to carry a hypoxia which develops on a background of respiratory failure.

There is also toxic encephalopathy. What it is? A similar form of the disease is caused by exposure to the body of both natural and synthetic toxins, including poisons of plants and animals and even some medications. In addition, encephalopathy is often associated with impaired renal and hepatic function, diseases of the endocrine system (in particular, the pancreas, adrenal glands and the pituitary gland). In some cases, the disease occurs as a result of radiation therapy or resuscitation.

Symptoms of such diseases can be different. These are headaches that are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, as well as mental abnormalities, sleep and memory disorders, paralysis and paresis, dizziness and fainting. In any case, with such symptoms, a thorough diagnosis is needed, since only by determining the cause can an effective method of treatment be selected.