Meningitis is a dangerous, thought treatable disease. If symptoms of meningitis are detected early, then immediate treatment saves life. In this article you will read everything you are to know about meningitis symptoms and also the ways how you can prevent this terrible disease.
What Is Meningitis?
It is an inflammation of membranes that surround spinal cord and brain. This disease can come in two various forms – viral and bacterial.
Viral meningitis is not very severe and is usually resolved without any special treatment and medical care within a week. Bacterial form of meningitis is called an uncompromising one and requires special medical care. The problem is symptoms of the both kinds are rather similar and it is hard to differentiate them.
Meningitis symptoms develop within several hours, or can take 2 days. In case a person has more than 4 symptoms, he/she has to call for a doctor or get to the nearest emergency room. So what are those symptoms?
- High fever (over 100 degrees);
- Pain in back/neck;
- Vomiting and nausea;
- Terrible headache;
- Light sensitivity;
- Seizures;
- Rash;
- Decreased appetite;
- Sleepiness and confusion.
One should be careful with this disease. When meningitis is not detected, then it affects brain, causing paralysis, hearing loss and many other psychological complications. The worst possible scenario caused by meningitis – death.
Meningitis Diagnosing
Many of meningitis symptoms are similar to those of other infections. It is essential to be very careful as to the diagnosing. When you understand that the symptoms a patient has are serious, you should immediately consult a doctor. Diagnosis is always growing of bacteria that are taking from a spinal fluid sample. Identifying the type of bacteria is significant in order to support antibiotics selection.
Where Does It Come From?
That is very hard to define. When there are obvious meningitis symptoms, people usually are not aware where they came from. People can carry and pass absolutely various bacteria to each other every minute. There are many people, who can carry these bacteria, but be absolutely healthy. The disease is rear, because out of hundreds of people, who carry bacteria, only 10 get sick.
Coming in close contacts with infected people, people become at an increased risk. To avoid such risk, people should remember basic rules. If you share water bottles and cigarettes, kiss or have irregular sleep pattern, then you are at a great risk. It is significant not to be afraid of this disease too much, because it never spreads by breathing the same air, or by casual contact.
Preventing Measures
Symptoms of meningitis appear, when person does not follow basic rules of health care. If you want to protect yourself from this terrible disease, you should take preventive measures. Washing your hands frequently, you kill many germs. Taking a vaccine that is available at hospitals you can be protected from meningitis’ common strains.
When you are a parent, you should be especially careful. In the very early stages meningitis has symptoms that are very similar to the flu. It is essential to examine child’s back and neck, because stiffness and pain predominate.
Common symptoms can occur all of a sudden or they can be persistent over time. The described symptoms are basic, but they can also variant depending on a person and medical history. The severity of the infection can be determined by blood and urine test, or CT scans.
When you have meningitis symptoms, you are to be very responsible and careful, as their results usually make a huge difference between life and death.