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What is Meningitis? |
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Symptoms
Meningitis involves inflamed membranes, the conduits which carry the cerebrospinal fluid to the brain and the spinal cord. Pediatric vaccine programs have diminished meningitis cases in children below five years old, and at present adolescents and older adults tend to contract the disease more than young children do. It’s very easy to mistake the initial indications of the condition for that of the flu. These include high fevers, migraines accompanied by queasiness and vomiting, vexation or an inability to concentrate, convulsions, a stiff neck, a heightened sensitivity to light, skin rashes, lethargy, and a loss of interest in food. Younger children may exhibit a poor appetite, become extremely drowsy and irritable, or a soft bulge may appear on the top of the head as a sign of meningitis. Late-stage symptoms involve spasms wherein the child tends to overextend the body, and cries when taken to be held from bed.
Causes
The cause of meningitis is either viral or bacterial in nature, and in uncommon cases, a fungal infection. Acute bacterial meningitis is acquired when the strain gets into the bloodstream and moves on to the brain or the spinal cord. It can also directly invade the membranes via an infection on the ear or the sinuses, or through a skull fracture. The most common strains which cause bacterial meningitis include streptococcus pneumoniae, neisseria meningitides, haemophilus influenzae, and listeria monocytogenes. Viral meningitis, though usually less health-threatening, causes more meningitis cases than bacteria. Common strains which belong to the enterovirus group are the reason for ninety percent of all viral cases, and these tend to propagate in late weeks of summer and early autumn.
Diagnosis
A patient may undergo several diagnostic tests to confirm the initial physical symptoms of meningitis. A throat culture can detect and locate the bacterial strain which is the reason for the headache, as well as the pain in the throat and neck, but it cannot identify the possible pathogens in the spinal fluid. The doctor may also look for other bodily infections which are potentially related to the condition, through an X-ray or CT scan of the patient’s chest, head, and sinuses. A definite diagnosis may be obtained with an examination of the cerebrospinal fluid, taken from the spinal area with a needle, or through a DNA test called a polymerase chain reaction assessment.
Treatment Info
An immediate antibiotic treatment is essential to the recovery of a patient with bacterial meningitis; this treatment is usually delivered intravenously. The medication that the doctor prescribes will depend on the bacterial strain causing the infection. Initial prescriptions usually include general antibiotics which treat most strains, until a more definitive diagnosis is obtained. The symptoms for the condition are also treated, including the inflammation and dehydration; infected sinuses and any fluid buildup on the cerebrospinal region will be drained. Antibiotics can’t deal with viral meningitis, but fortunately the latter improves on its own without the need for treatment, apart from OTC fever medications and bed rest. If the reason for the condition is a herpes strain, the doctor may prescribe antiviral medication for the latter.
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