Brain injury caused by infections
Cerebral infections
Infections can occur in our brains like in other parts of the body. An infection in the brains is called a cerebral infection:
- Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis)
- Inflammation of the meninges that cover the brain and spinal cord (meningitis)
- Mixed picture both inflammation of brain tissue as well as meninges (meningoencephalitis)
What happens when the brains swell because
of an infection?
The brains are protected inside the hard shell, the skull. When the brains begin to swell, the skull keeps the swelling down causing the swollen brains to press in a different direction.
This allows them to press down on the brain stem. From this section of the brains vital functions such as breathing and heart rate are controlled.
If this situation is left untreated, the intracranial pressure rises and the brain can stop functioning and the patient will die.