Meningitis Symptoms

Meningitis – is an infectious disease, the proximate cause of which may be different agents. Most human infections can establish a clear link between the name of the disease and its causative agent name.

By itself the word “meningitis” means inflammation of the brain shell, and its cause can be a huge number of micro-organisms - bacteria, viruses, fungi. For the occurrence of meningitis, a specific agent should enter the cavity of the skull and cause brain inflammation shells. Depending on the type of pathogen can be viral meningitis, bacterial, fungal.

Serous meningitis can be caused by any virus that can penetrate the central nervous system. The development of viral meningitis may be accompanied during the well-known infections - wind pox, measles, rubella, mumps, brain lesion is found in the shells of flu, infections caused by herpes viruses.

However, it may be the major epidemic outbreaks involving tens and hundreds of children. The most common agent is enteric virus. Enteric virus meningitis differs significantly in mode of transmission of bacterial meningitis. The virus enters the body with water or food, multiplies in the intestine, enters the blood. And then begins the process of inflammation in the meninges. The main cause of mass disease - problems with water and inadequate water treatment: the virus is very resistant in the environment and the tap water is able to persist for weeks, even withstand short-term boiling. For a complete removal of tap water from enteric virus is recommended to boil it for about 10 minutes.

Feature of inflammation of brain shells - this is non-existence of meningitis symptoms that are possible with other, less dangerous disease. The disease begins acutely in the background of full health. Significantly, sometimes up to 39-40 ° C, increased body temperature. The children noted chills, severe headache, photophobia.

They are troublesome, and at the same time sluggish. There is pain throughout the body, changing the sensitivity of the skin, which leads to painful feelings, even at the slightest touch. The disease runs in the background of persistent repeated vomiting.

Vomiting sometimes introduces parents deceptive: they suspect food poisoning. Therefore, you should know this feature: when meningitis is not diarrhea, which almost always accompanies food poisoning. In addition to the above symptoms are quite certain changes, some reflexes, and can be detected only by a doctor.

The only way to confirm or exclude meningitis is a lumbar puncture. Study of liquor is not only to establish the diagnosis of meningitis, but also to answer the question of what is meningitis - bacterial or viral, which is crucial in the selection of treatment options.

Unfortunately, on a purely philistine level, a very common view of the immense dangers posed lumbar puncture. In fact, these fears are not unfounded - puncture canal is between lumbar vertebrae at the level where the spinal cord is not moving away, no nerve trunks, so no mythical paralysis after this manipulation does not exist. Timely treatment of meningitis started within two to three days led to a significant improvement, and then almost always to a full recovery without any consequences.

Prevent contamination of viral meningitis allow normal hygiene activities. Hand-washing with soap and mandatory washing of fruits and vegetables, consumption of boiled or bottled water. Be sure to thoroughly wash (better with brush) bought watermelon or melon and in no way claim to cut out piece “to test” while purchase, because viruses are sure to enter the interior and get rid of them is already impossible. When epidemic rise of morbidity serous meningitis for hand-washing and for washing vegetables is better to use water boiled for 10 minutes (many outbreaks of the disease have been linked to tap water).

Another area of prevention - vaccination. But we must realize that meningitis - a disease with a large number of potential pathogens, and there is no universal vaccine that can protect against all of them. Typically, vaccination is done against one - two pathogens, but it does not give absolute guarantees, that these microbes do not cause disease. A special vaccine against measles, mumps, rubella, polio will protect the child from those infections and their complications in the form of meningitis. But the main problem – is enteric virus, against of which there is still no vaccines.

inflammation, viral meningitis

In 80% cases the main reasons, caused meningitis, are three types of bacteria: Neisseria meningitidis, Nemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Normally they exist in the environment and may even be present in the human upper respiratory tract, causing no harm.

But sometimes, these micro-organisms, without apparent reason, infect the brain. In other cases meningitis developed after head trauma or a consequence of immune system weakening.

Most often it affects people, who abuse alcohol, post-splenectomy (removal of the spleen) or pneumococcal pneumonia, as well as with chronic inflammatory diseases of the ear and nose, or sickle cell anemia.

More rarely, other types of bacteria cause meningitis too. Among them, Escherichia coif, normally present in feces, and Klebsiella. Diseases caused by these bacteria, often developing after head injuries, operations on the brain and spinal cord, or as a result of sepsis, as well as represent infections acquired in hospital.

These diseases are most prevalent in people with damaged immune systems. For those who have renal insufficiency or taking corticosteroids, increased risk of meningitis caused by other bacteria - Listeria.

Meningitis is more common in children at an early age and is rare for adults, if there are no special risk factors. However, among people living in close contact, such as in military camps and hostels, there may be outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis epidemics and other infections.

head trauma, Meningitis, reasons