Meningitis is a potentially fatal disease that can seemingly come out of nowhere. The good news is that with quick treatment, survival rates are often very good. Additionally, only a few thousand cases of the more serious bacterial meningitis are diagnosed each year, so it’s not that common. Viral meningitis, which is much less serious, is diagnosed in about 20,000-50,000 people each year. Either type of meningitis can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because it can mimic other illnesses. The following is information that will help you learn more about meningitis, its signs and symptoms, and how it’s treated.
What Is Meningitis?
Meningitis is a serious, life-threatening disease that is caused by meninges which become infected. The meninges are the covering that protects your brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by either a bacterial or viral infection. Because it affects the brain and spinal cord, meningitis can not only cause short-term symptoms like seizures, but can also lead to permanent disabilities like hearing and vision loss, balance problems, recurring headaches, and more.
Bacterial meningitis is usually much more severe than viral. A bacterial infection has the chance to cause brain damage and be fatal. Viral meningitis is typically more common, especially in the spring and summer months, and it resolves itself with minimal medical intervention required.
The risk of getting meningitis depends on a number of factors, including age, overall health, contact with other people, vaccines received, and so forth. Children, especially babies, are at the most risk for infection because their immune systems are not fully developed. However, adults can also become infected. Living in a community setting, such as a college campus, also increase one’s risk of meningitis.
Symptoms Of Meningitis
The symptoms of meningitis often come on quickly and without warning. One big problem of diagnosing meningitis is that the symptoms can mimic other, more common, illnesses, like the flu. And because meningitis is not very common nowadays, it’s often overlooked by doctors.
Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Nausea/vomiting
- Severe headache
- Stiff neck
- Seizures
- Sensitivity to light
A stiff neck is one of the more unique symptoms of meningitis because it’s not a symptom of other common illnesses, like the flu. A headache and light sensitivity, on the other hand, are often associated with migraines.
Once the flu and other illnesses are ruled out and meningitis is suspected, your doctor will order a spinal tap to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid. This is the only way to diagnose meningitis with absolute certainty.
Treatment For Meningitis
Meningitis can’t be prevented altogether, but there are steps you can take to lower your risk of becoming infected. This includes practicing good hygiene, eating healthy, getting plenty of exercise, and staying hydrated. In other words, staying healthy so your body’s immune system can fight off infection is the best way to avoid meningitis.
The treatment for meningitis depends on whether it’s bacterial or viral. For viral meningitis, doctors focus more on managing the symptoms because it will usually resolve on its own. Treatment will include getting plenty of rest, drinking a lot of fluids, and over-the-counter pain medication to help with any pain. In some cases, an anti-viral medication will be prescribed.
Since bacterial meningitis is much more serious and can quickly become life-threatening, doctors will start you on intravenous antibiotics. The type of antibiotics will depend on the specific bacteria involved. If doctors are uncertain about what type of bacteria is causing the infection, they will prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic until they know more.
In addition to the antibiotics, the doctor might also order a CT scan to check for brain swelling. If they detect brain swelling, doctors will give you something to bring the swelling down. And as with viral meningitis, you’ll need plenty of rest and fluids to help your body heal.