Differentiating the signs and
symptoms of meningitis is critical in the final outcome of a contagious illness
that is often mistaken at onset for common influenza. Two infectious forms
define this illness as either viral (aseptic), which is usually milder or
bacterial (spinal), which has the potential for causing fatalities.
Viral meningitis is an equal opportunistic infection, affecting men, women and
children of all ages. The risk for acquiring illness following exposure
increases when the immune system is compromised due to autoimmune dysfunction,
depleted immunity or the use of immunosuppressant drug therapies.
Misinformation and fear regarding vaccines has resulted in more children
contracting measles, mumps or rubella, increasing risk for developing meningeal
infections. Common fungal infections can result in developing this illness.
Communal living increases risk for cluster epidemics.
Most viral cases recover fully without intervention or any need for
antibiotics, as viral illness are managed by the body's immune response. The
illness, however, requires the attention of a physician to culture for cause.
If the illness is introduced through acquisition of a fungus, the appropriate
prescribed course of anti-fungal medication is necessary for cure.
Risks that increase the likelihood of acquiring this viral infection are a
recent bout with measles, rubella or seasonal flu, as well as exposure during
an outbreak of meningitis. Immunosuppressive drugs prescribed for transplant
recipients and cancer patients lower resistance to viral infections and
increase the risk for this illness.
Bacterial meningitis, left untreated, carries the potential for consequences
that range in severity from hearing loss to permanent neurological damage to
death. This form of the illness is more prevalent in babies under 2 years old
and adults beyond 50 years of age. A recent respiratory illness with
symptomatic infections of the sinuses, ears, throat or lungs paves the path for
infection spreading directly to the meninges. Any concussive, cranial injury
provides an opening for entry of meningeal bacteria.
Similar to the onset of flu, meningeal symptoms are felt suddenly. Edema in the
meninges culminates in swelling, causing the characteristically relentless
headache, accompanied with light sensitivity, a rising temperature equal to the
severity of the infection, shaking chills followed by perspiring, exhaustion,
irritability and confusion, nausea, vomiting and the telltale stiff neck.
Bacterial infiltration can sometimes be distinguished from viral with
additional signals that herald the seriousness of this infection. Often, the
patient will have recently recovered from a sore throat with indications of a
respiratory infection prior to the onset of symptoms suggestive of meningitis.
The appearance of a red to purplish skin rash points toward a definitive
diagnosis for bacterial meningitis.
Infants who develop a high fever along with abnormal irritability and
relentless crying, sluggishness and a change in willingness to feed, are
suspect for this illness until medically evaluated. Ominous signals include a
bulging soft spot on the top of the baby's head and stiffness in the body and
neck of the infant.
Educated with the signs and
symptoms of meningitis, early recognition allows for timely,
comprehensivemedical intervention, resulting in fewer complications and
unnecessary deaths. While viral cases are generally self-limited and run their
course without complication, bacterial cases necessitate accurate, differential
diagnosis for proactive cure without permanent, life-altering complications.
About the Author:
Find out the signs and symptoms of Meningitis by visiting
this informative website at www.meningitis-angels.org.
Here is more information on http://www.meningitis-angels.org.
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