Brain injury caused by infections
Cerebral infections
Infections may occur in our brain like in other parts of the body. An infection in the brain 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 brain swells because
of an infection?
The brain are protected inside the hard shell, the skull. When the brain begin to swell, the skull keeps the swelling down causing the swollen brain to press in a different direction.
This allows them to press down on the brain stem. From this section of the brain 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.