Question
The patient often has an attack at night, preceded by a loud shout, followed by convulsions, frothing at the mouth, and sometimes blood in the mouth. The attack occurs once a month. There is a significant decline in memory, and the mental state is poor.
Answer
Epilepsy triggered by a cold refers primarily to the possibility that viral encephalitis caused by a cold may lead to epilepsy attacks. After the cold virus invades the human body, it triggers a series of uncomfortable reactions. If the body’s immunity is low at that time, the virus can circulate throughout the body’s blood supply and reach the brain, eventually developing into viral encephalitis. Viral encephalitis refers to substantive inflammation caused by viral infection. If not treated promptly, it can easily lead to recurrent epilepsy attacks, abnormal mental and behavioral changes, hemiplegia, and in severe cases, death. Children are more susceptible to viral encephalitis triggered by a cold because normal adults have the protection of the blood-brain barrier, whereas children’s immune systems and blood-brain barriers are not yet fully developed, giving the virus an opportunity to take advantage.