ENOPH1
Encephalopathy: A Comprehensive Guide
Description
Encephalopathy is a medical condition characterized by an impaired function of the brain. It can be caused by a wide range of factors, including infections, toxins, metabolic disorders, and trauma. Encephalopathy can manifest in various symptoms, including changes in consciousness, confusion, memory loss, speech disturbances, and motor dysfunction.
Associated Diseases
Encephalopathy is associated with several underlying medical conditions, such as:
- Infectious Encephalitis: Viral or bacterial infections that directly target the brain tissue.
- Toxic Encephalopathy: Exposure to toxins like lead, mercury, or carbon monoxide.
- Metabolic Encephalopathy: Conditions that disrupt the brain's metabolism, such as hepatic encephalopathy (caused by liver failure) and hypoxic encephalopathy (caused by oxygen deprivation).
- Traumatic Encephalopathy: Brain injury resulting from head trauma.
- Other: Hypothyroidism, vasculitis, and certain brain tumors can also cause encephalopathy.
Did you Know ?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 700,000 people in the United States are hospitalized with encephalopathy each year.
