How to Know if You Have Bacterial Meningitis

Meningitis

What Is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a rare infection that affects the delicate membranes -- called meninges -- that cover the brain and spinal cord. You or your children can take hold of it.

Types of Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis

It'southward an extremely serious illness. You or your child will need to go medical help right away. Information technology tin can be life-threatening or lead to brain impairment unless you get quick treatment.

Several kinds of bacteria can cause bacterial meningitis. The most common ones in the U.S. are:

• Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
• Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
• Listeria monocytogenes (in older people, pregnant women, or those with immune system bug)

A bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was a common cause of meningitis in babies and young children until the Hib vaccine became bachelor for infants. There are also vaccines for Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Experts recommend that all children get them, equally well every bit all adults who are at a higher chance for the affliction.

In many cases, bacterial meningitis starts when bacteria become into your bloodstream from your sinuses, ears, or throat. The bacteria travel through your bloodstream to your brain.

The bacteria that crusade meningitis can spread when people who are infected coughing or sneeze. If you or your child has been around someone who has bacterial meningitis, ask your doctor what steps you should take to avoid communicable information technology.

Viral meningitis

Viral meningitis is more common than the bacterial course and by and large -- simply not always -- less serious. A number of viruses can trigger the disease, including several that can cause diarrhea.

Fungal meningitis

Fungal meningitis is much less mutual than the bacterial or viral forms. Healthy people rarely get it. You're more than probable to become this class of meningitis if you have a trouble with your allowed system, like AIDS.

Parasitic meningitis

Parasitic meningitis is besides rare. Information technology's caused past parasites that usually touch animals. You can get it from eating animals like snails, slugs, snakes, fish, or poultry that are infected by parasites or their eggs, or produce that contains parasite eggs. The risk is higher with raw or undercooked foods. You tin can't pass on this type of meningitis to other people.

Amoebic meningitis

Amoebic meningitis is a rare, usually fatal infection by a single-celled problems called Naegleria fowleri. This amoeba lives in soil or warm, fresh h2o, but not common salt h2o. People typically get it from swimming in water where the amoeba lives, not drinking it. Amoebic meningitis isn't contagious.

Non-infectious meningitis

Non-infectious meningitis is caused by diseases similar lupus or cancer, or if you've had a head injury, encephalon surgery, or accept certain medications. It isn't contagious.

Chronic meningitis

Chronic meningitis has similar symptoms every bit acute meningitis, but develops over a couple of weeks. It results from infections with a fungus or the mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis. These organisms get into the tissue and fluid surrounding your encephalon to cause meningitis.

Meningitis Symptoms

Meningitis symptoms can develop inside hours or days and may include:

• Defoliation
• Fever
• Headache
• Numbness in your face
• Sensitivity to light
• Potent neck so that you tin can't lower your chin to your chest
• Upset tummy or vomiting
• Severe headache with nausea or vomiting
• A hard fourth dimension concentrating
• Seizures
• Sleepiness or a hard time waking up
• Lack of appetite
• Lack of thirst
• Peel rash (with meningococcal meningitis)

Symptoms of meningitis in infants

In infants, meningitis symptoms may include:

• High fever
• Crying that's abiding and gets louder when you hold the baby
• Baby seems overly sleepy, sluggish, or inactive
• Stiff neck or body
• Bulge on the soft expanse on the top of the baby's caput
• Poor ability to feed
• Crankiness

Risk Factors for Meningitis

Anyone can get meningitis, only research shows that it'south more common in these age groups:

• Children under five
• Teenagers and young adults ages 16-25
• Adults over 55

Meningitis is more of a danger for people with sure medical conditions, such every bit a damaged or missing spleen, long-term illness, or immune system disorders.

Considering certain germs that crusade meningitis can spread easily, outbreaks are most likely to happen in places where people live shut to each other. Higher students in dorms or military machine recruits in barracks tin be more likely to catch the affliction. So are people who travel to areas where meningitis is more than common, such as parts of Africa

Causes of Meningitis

Meningitis nearly e'er results from a bacterial or viral infection that begins somewhere else in your body, like your ears, sinuses, or throat.

Less common causes of meningitis include:

• Autoimmune disorders
• Cancer medications
• Syphilis
• Tuberculosis

Meningitis Diagnosis

Your doc will ask virtually your medical history and do a physical exam, including checking your neck for stiffness and looking for a pare rash that might suggest a bacterial infection. They volition also need to do tests that can include:

• Blood tests to find bacteria
• CT or MRI scans of your caput to find swelling or inflammation
• Spinal tap, in which a health care worker uses a needle to accept fluid from around your spinal cord. Information technology can tell what'due south causing your meningitis.

Treatment for Meningitis

Your treatment will depend on the type of meningitis you have.

Bacterial meningitis needs handling with antibiotics right abroad. The doctor might requite y'all a general, or broad-spectrum, antibody even before they've constitute the exact leaner that caused your disease. Once they do, they'll change to a drug that targets the specific leaner they observe. You might too get corticosteroids to ease inflammation.

Viral meningitis usually goes away on its own without treatment. Your doc might tell you lot to stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and take over-the-counter hurting medicines if you have a fever or aches. If a virus like canker or influenza caused your illness, you might take antiviral medication.

Antifungal medications tin treat fungal meningitis.

Complications of Meningitis

Meningitis tin can crusade severe complications in adults and children, especially if yous delay treatment. Possible complications include:

• Seizures
• Brain damage
• Loss of hearing
• Retention problems
• Learning problems
• A hard fourth dimension walking
• Kidney failure
• Shock
• Decease

Prevention of Meningitis

You may be able to prevent meningitis by avoiding infection with the viruses or bacteria that crusade information technology. These infections are passed to others when yous cough, sneeze, kiss, or share toothbrushes or eating utensils. Take these steps to preclude infections:

• Wash hands often. Rinse well. Teach your kids to launder their hands often besides, especially later on eating, using the toilet, or when you're in public places.
• Don't share items like toothbrushes, eating utensils, or lipstick.
• Don't share foods or drinks with other people.
• Cover your rima oris and olfactory organ when you cough or sneeze.
• Stay healthy. Consume a healthy diet, go enough of exercise, and rest at nighttime.
• If you lot're pregnant, swallow nutrient that'southward well-cooked. Avoid foods made from unpasteurized milk.
• Go immunized. Follow your doctor'southward advice on getting immunization shots for diseases that may cause bacterial meningitis, including flu and pneumonia vaccines.

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Source: https://www.webmd.com/children/understanding-meningitis-basics

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