Meningitis

The signs and symptoms of meningitis may come on very quickly, developing over only a few hours, or they may develop over a few days. It can be very easy to mistake the early signs of meningitis for influenza or the "flu."

In anyone over 2 years old, the following signs and symptoms of meningitis may occur:

• - A high fever that occurs suddenly
• - Cold hands and feet
• - A very painful headache that isn't like any other type of a headache
• - Stiffness and rigidity in the neck is a classic sign of meningitis
• - Nausea or vomiting along with a headache can be a sign of meningitis
• - The trouble with concentrating, or confusion
• - Seizures can be a sign of meningitis
• - Excessive sleepiness or being difficult to arouse can be a sign of meningitis
• - Light sensitivity is a symptom of meningitis
• - Loss of appetite
• - Drowsy and unresponsive
• - In some cases, especially in meningococcal meningitis, a skin rash may be present

Signs and symptoms of meningitis in newborns

Meningitis is a series condition and it affects various age groups and often if gone untreated will and could result in death. Sadly, even newborn babies are not exempt from the dangers of contracting it. Many times infants and newborns do not have the typical signs of meningitis, such as a stiff neck and headache. Signs of the condition in children under the age of 2 includes:

• - Constant crying
• - Cold hands and feet
• - High fever is a sign of meningitis in a newborn
• - Lack of activity increased sleepiness
• - Poor nursing or feeding
• - Rigidity or stiffness in the body and neck is a sign of meningitis in an infant
• - Irritability, inability to be comforted
• - Bulging of the soft spot on the top of an infant's head can be a sign of meningitis
• - Drowsy and or unresponsive

When to see a doctor

It is critical to get medical care immediately in the presence of the following signs and symptoms of meningitis:

• Fever
• Stiff or rigid neck
• Vomiting
• Extremely painful and unrelenting headache
• Confusion

While viral meningitis may not require emergency treatment, bacterial meningitis can quickly become life-threatening. Putting off treatment increases the chance of severe complications or death. There is no way of knowing what type of meningitis is causing the symptoms without seeing a doctor. In addition, if you live, work with or are in close contact with someone who has meningitis, talk to your doctor about preventative medications.

Diagnostic Procedures

In order to diagnose meningitis, your physician will want to know you or your child's medical history and perform a thorough physical examination.

During the examination, the physician will be checking for evidence of meningitis, especially around the throat, ears and head and the skin surfaces of the spine. There are tests that are used to make a diagnosis of meningitis and the results of these tests can also be used to guide your doctor in your care and treatment.

• Blood cultures: To check for meningitis, blood will be taken from one of your veins and sent to a laboratory. It will be examined in different ways to see if bacteria are present and it will also be placed in a special container to see what kind of bacteria, if any, grow.
• Imaging studies: Computerized tomography, also called CT scans, and X-rays of the sinuses, head or chest can show if there is any swelling present in these areas. Scans and X-rays may be taken of other parts of your body to help your doctor find the source of your infection.
• Lumbar puncture: This is also called a "spinal tap." To make a definitive decision that meningitis is present, the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain, known as the cerebrospinal fluid or CSF needs to be examined in a laboratory. To obtain a sample of CSF, a lumbar puncture is completed. The fluid is collected by inserting a needle into the space between two vertebrae and withdrawing the CSF into a syringe. If meningitis is present, the cerebrospinal fluid will typically contain an increased amount of protein and white blood cells and a decreased amount of glucose. By examining the CSF fluid, your physician may also be able to identify the microorganism that is causing meningitis, so the correct antibiotics can be prescribed.

Home test for signs and symptoms of meningitis

As mentioned, meningitis can sometimes have a side effect and symptom that includes a rash, but you can test the rash to see whether or not it is related to meningitis. Patients with Septicaemia may develop meningitis due to the infection within the blood. In some cases, these patients may develop meningitis or a rash that could be as a result of the development of meningitis. Use a glass to test the signs and symptoms of meningitis at the appearance of a rash:

• 1. Press a clear glass onto the rash
• 2. The rash spots may fade while the pressure is applied
• 3. If the patient has a fever and the rash, check to see if the spots fade with the pressure of the clear glass
• 4. If the rash does not fade under the pressure, seek immediate medical assistance

It is important to seek immediate medical care as soon as the individual begins to showcase signs and symptoms of meningitis.

The treatment of meningitis depends on the type of infection or another factor that is causing the condition.

Bacterial meningitis

Immediate treatment for meningitis with intravenous antibiotics is needed to treat acute bacterial meningitis. Corticosteroids are also given to help reduce the chance of complications such as seizures and swelling of the brain. Cortisone medications also help to ensure recovery from meningitis. The antibiotics used to treat bacterial meningitis depend on what type of bacteria is responsible for the infection. Sometimes it may take several days for the tests to provide the doctor with this information. Until this information is available, your physician may prescribe treatment for meningitis with a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is effective against several different types of organisms.

If the sinuses or the bones that lie behind the outer portion of the ear, connecting to the middle ear (the mastoids) are infected, they may need to be drained.

Viral meningitis

Viral meningitis cannot be cured by antibiotics. In most instances, it resolves without the treatment for meningitis which may be within a few weeks. If the case of viral meningitis is mild, it is usually treated at home with measures such as:

• 1. An increase in the number of fluids taken in
• 2. Staying in bed and getting plenty of rest to help recover from meningitis
• 3. Taking non-prescription medications to help relieve pain and reduce fever associated with meningitis

If a herpes virus has caused the infection, an anti-viral medication can be prescribed by your physician.

Other types of meningitis

If it is difficult to determine the cause of meningitis, both an antibiotic and an antiviral medication may be started until a reason for meningitis can be established.

Treatment for meningitis may include antifungal drugs. These drugs are used to treat fungal meningitis, but these medications can have severe side effects. For this reason, treatment with antifungal drugs is not initiated until the cause of meningitis is confirmed as being fungal in nature. The cause of chronic meningitis is often a fungal infection.

If meningitis is caused by something other than an infection such as an autoimmune disorder or an allergic reaction, the treatment for meningitis of this nature may include corticosteroid drugs. In some cases, meningitis resolves without treatment. Meningitis caused by cancer is treated by initiating treatment for the specific type of cancer.

Prevention

Meningitis is most often the result of an infection that is spread from person to person. The viruses and bacteria that commonly cause meningitis are spread through the respiratory tract by sneezing, coughing, sharing silverware or straws, kissing or sharing a cigarette or toothbrush. If you work with or live with someone who has meningitis, you are also at increased risk of developing the disease.

There are steps you can take to help reduce your chances of getting meningitis. They include:

• Practice good hand-washing: Careful hand-washing includes covering the back as well as the front of both hands with soap and rubbing the surfaces vigorously, then rinsing well under running water. Hands should always be washed after using the restroom, before eating, after petting animals and after spending time in public crowds. Hand-washing is the best way to prevent the spread of infections, including meningitis. Teach your children when and how to wash their hands.
• Don't share: Practice good common hygiene. Avoid sharing anything that goes in or near your mouth: toothbrushes, lip balms, food, drink or straws, silverware, cigarettes. Teach your children to be "selfish" with these items, too. This can reduce your risk of meningitis.
• Practice healthy habits: Keep your immune system strong to reduce your risk of infections like meningitis through regular exercise, adequate sleep and a balanced diet consisting mostly of vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains.
• Cover your mouth: If you're sick, stay home. If you do have to sneeze or cough, sneeze or cough into your elbow, covering your nose and mouth.
• Be aware of listeria sources if you are pregnant: You can reduce your chances of developing an infection from listeria by cooking all meat to 165 Fahrenheit (74 Celsius). This includes lunch meat, deli meats, and hot dogs. Avoid soft cheeses like Camembert, Brie, queso and feta and any dairy products made from unpasteurized milk.

Treatment for meningitis and to help prevent it may include immunizations

The following immunizations can help prevent some types of bacterial meningitis:

• Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) vaccine: This vaccination is on the recommended schedule of immunizations for children in the US and is given in a series beginning when an infant is approximately 2 months old. Hib is also recommended for adults with AIDS, sickle cell disease and for people who do not have a spleen.
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7): In addition to being on the recommended schedule of immunizations for children under the age of 2 in the United States, this vaccine is also recommended for high-risk children who are between 2 and 5 years old. This includes children who have cancer or chronic lung or heart disease.
• Haemophilus influenza type b and Neisseria meningitidis serogroups C and Y vaccine (Hib-MenCY): This immunization is given in a series of 4 doses to children between the ages of 2 months and 15 months who are at increased risk for developing meningococcal meningitis. This would include children with sickle cell anemia and those whose spleen is not functioning correctly.
• Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV): The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend this vaccine for all people over 65 years old, for all people who do not have a spleen and for children and adults younger than 65 who have a chronic illness or compromised immune systems.
• Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4): This vaccine is recommended by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all children between 11 and 12 years old with a booster given at 16 years old. If the first dose is given after the child is 16, no booster is needed. This vaccine can also be given to much younger children; as small as 9 months who are at high risk for bacterial meningitis or to children and adults who are healthy in the case of an outbreak of the disease.