Moving Away From Meningitis
You have a stiff neck and a fever. You suffer from confusion and drowsiness. You are prone to vomiting and you have a rash across your chest. You could have meningitis.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. A bacterial or viral infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord usually causes the swelling. It is potentially a deadly disease that can kill the patient in a matter of hours or cause lifelong disability. Injuries, cancer, certain drugs and other types of infections also can cause meningitis.
Meningitis is of several type, it includes bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, fungal meningitis, parasitic meningitis and amebic meningitis. It is important to know the specific cause of meningitis because the treatment differs depending on the cause.
Meningitis can strike everyone and at all ages—it can be fatal within a few hours and cause lifelong disability. Meningitis is one of the leading causes of neurological disability, which can last a lifetime.
Symptoms of meningitis can include: stiff neck; fever; sensitivity to light; confusion and drowsiness; headaches; vomiting; rash; and seizures.
In infants: They may have a bulging fontanelle (soft spot) and droopy and unresponsive.
Hippocrates (c.460 to 370 B.C.), the father of modern medicine was the first to notice what could have been meningitis when he noticed inflammation of the brain’s lining. Thomas Willis (1621 to 1675) was the first to report individuals with “inflammation of the meninges with a constant fever” in 1661.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, you are at a higher risk for meningitis if you under age 5; have a weakened immune system; live in a group setting (e.g. college dorm); have a CSF leak; don’t have a spleen or you have a damaged spleen; live in or travel to places where meningitis is common; have chronic nose and ear infections, pneumococcal pneumonia or a widespread blood infection; have a head injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury; are living with sickle cell disease; and are living with alcohol use disorder.
Infectious diseases (which is caused by something outside the body) and non-infectious conditions cause meningitis.
Infectious causes include bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and the ameba Naegleria fowleri. Non-infectious causes are diseases, certain medications and other conditions.
There are many ways you can get meningitis. It depends on whether the cause is infectious or not.
§ From a contagious illness passed from person to person (like a virus or bacteria).
§ From contaminated food.
§ From swimming in or drinking water that is contaminated.
§ From fungi in the environment that is breathed in.
§ As a complication of a non-infectious illnesses (e.g. cancer, lupus).
§ As a result of a head injury or brain surgery.
§ As a side effect of a medication.
Meningitis is diagnosed by doing a physical examination, asking about your symptoms and testing your cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). They may ask you if you have traveled or been around someone with certain illnesses. They may get a blood or stool sample or swab your nose or throat or get an imaging of your brain.
Treatment of meningitis depends on the cause. Antifungals are used to treat fungal meningitis. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial meningitis. Antivirals can be used to treat viral causes of meningitis. Non-infectious causes of meningitis are treated by taking care of the illness or injury that caused the condition. Medications might be used to decrease inflammation or ease your symptoms.
You will start to feel better within a few days to a week after starting treatment. To fully recover, it might take weeks to months.
The best way to protect yourself from getting meningitis is to get vaccinated. Also practice handling your food with care and washing your hands frequently.
