Encephalitis - Home Treatment

Home Treatment

Because encephalitis can be a life-threatening condition, it is not appropriate to treat it at home. Symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, and confusion along with nausea and vomiting and possibly a stiff neck and back may be caused by encephalitis. If you think you or someone you know may have encephalitis, seek immediate medical attention.

Once you have been released from the hospital or are under the care of your doctor, it may take several weeks or months to fully recover from your symptoms. You can do things at home to help yourself feel better.

• Get good nutrition and plenty of rest to help your body heal.
• Follow your doctor's instructions on drinking fluids; sometimes, too much fluid can cause more swelling in the brain and make symptoms of encephalitis worse.
• Take nonprescription pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen, ibuprofen, or aspirin, for headaches unless your doctor has prescribed another pain reliever. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.
• Keep the lights low if you are sensitive to light.
• Try to be patient while you are recovering—it may take several weeks or months to fully recover from all of your symptoms. Most people with encephalitis make a full recovery.

If you have muscle weakness or problems with coordination as a result of encephalitis, your doctor may prescribe physical therapy and range-of-motion exercises. Likewise, if you have continued problems with speech or memory loss, your doctor may order speech and occupational therapies.

It is, of course, best if you can prevent encephalitis from ever occurring. You can decrease your risk of getting encephalitis by taking the following steps:

• Make sure you are vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and influenza. Encephalitis is a rare complication of these diseases.
• Avoid areas where there has been an outbreak of viral encephalitis. If you cannot avoid these areas, you can reduce your risk of mosquito bites.
  • Stay indoors at dawn and dusk and in the early evening, when mosquitoes are most active.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you go outdoors.
  • Avoid wearing floral fragrances from perfumes, soaps, hair care products, and lotions. These may attract mosquitoes.
  • Spray clothing with an insect repellent containing permethrin or DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) to prevent mosquitoes from biting through clothing. Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 35% DEET; concentrations greater than 50% do not provide any additional protection.
  • Avoid applying repellent to the hands of children. Repellents may irritate the eyes and mouth.
• Do not use old tires as swings or play equipment or keep them on your property for other reasons. When old tires collect water, they become excellent breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Vaccines are available for certain types of mosquito- and tick-borne encephalitis that occur in the Far East and in central and eastern Europe. Japanese encephalitis virus may be prevented by taking three doses of a vaccine.^{2, 1} If you are planning an extended visit to one of these areas, especially if you will be spending time in rural areas, you may want to be vaccinated against the type of encephalitis that is widespread in that area.

No human vaccine is available yet for any of the types of mosquito-borne encephalitis that occur in the United States.