What is Brain Abscess or Cerebral Abscess? How to manage it? What are the precautions to be taken? What are the signs and symptoms? What is the cause of this disease? How to treat it? How can homeopathy help you? All of this answered, in this post and of course our doctors always there to help you. Just fill in your details in the form down below and we will answer all your questions for FREE!
What is brain abscess?
Brain abscess or cerebral abscess is an abscess caused by the infection especially caused by bacteria in the tissue of brain. Brain abscess is an inflammation and collection of infected material that are entering brain from local infected areas such as ear infection, dental abscess, infection from paranasal sinuses, infection from the mastoid cells in the temporal bone or from epidural abscess or infection coming from remote parts of the body such as lungs, heart, kidney, or infection sources within the brain tissue.
The brain is a special organ which is protected from infection by bacteria and is protected by skull, the meninges (layers surrounding the brain), the immune system and highly regulated barrier between the blood stream and the brain.
In some condition due to any defect in these barriers, the bacteria enter the brain and cause localized infection and form abscess.
Who are more prone to brain abscess?
Brain abscess occurs more commonly in males than in females.
Young children and infants are more prone to develop brain abscess because of more occurrence of meningitis in small children.
What are the causes of brain abscess?
Following are the predisposing factors
-Dental infections by aerobic and anaerobic streptococci.
-Ear infections such as mastoiditis by haemophillus bacteria.
-infection of the heart that is endocarditis by staphylococcus aureus.
-Liver abscess by klebsiella pneumonia.
-In any penetrating trauma infection by enterobacteriaceae, staphylococcus aureus.
Organisms that cause infection and lead to formation of abscess are as follows
-Staphylococcus aureus.
-Prevotella and Fuscobacterium species.
-Pseudomonas species.
-Anaerobes especially Veillonella and Eubacterium
-Enterobacteriaceae especially Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli and Proteus species.
Less common organisms causing brain abscess are as follows
-Actinomyces.
-Nocardia asteroids.
-Helminthes such as Taenia solium.
-T gondii.
-Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.
-Haemophilus aphrophilus.
-Other enterobacteriacea are actinobacillus, actinomycetemcomitans, and Salmonella species.
-Nocardia asteroids.
-Fungi such as aspergillus, candida, Cryptococcus.
-Neisseria meningitidis.
-H influenza.
What are the symptoms of brain abscess?
There are changes in mental status and are as follows
-Confusion.
-Drowsiness.
-Inattention.
-Slow in thought process.
-Irritability.
-Decreased responsiveness.
-Eventually coma will develop.
Other symptoms are as follows
-Decreased movement.
-Headache.
-Fever and chills.
-There are difficulties in languages.
-Loss of coordination occurs.
-Loss of muscle function, especially on one side.
-Seizures can occur.
-Stiffness in neck.
-Vision changes occur.
-Vomiting.
-Decreased speech.
Can brain abscess be cured?
It can be treated with antibiotics, as antibiotics helps in treating the underlying infection that may have been the cause of brain abscess.
Can you die from a brain abscess?
If brain abscess left untreated, it can cause permanent brain damage and can be fatal.
What are the investigations for brain abscess?
-Blood culture.
-Complete blood count.
-Chest X-ray.
-CT scan of brain is done to find the location of abscess.
-Lumbar puncture is done and then CSF (cerebro spinal fluid) is cultured and type of bacteria involved in infection is found.
-EEG
-Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is done.
-Testing of antibodies in blood.
What are the complications of brain abscess?
-Seizures.
-Brain damage.
-Meningitis that is severe and life threatening.
-Recurrence of infection.
Homeopathic treatment for brain abscess?
-arnica montana
-crotalus horridus
-iodum
-lachesis
