Meningitis symptoms
Meningococcal infection( MI) is an acute bacterial infection caused by meningococcus, characterized by pronounced polymorphism of clinical forms, frequent development of severe complications, often leading to the death of the patient.
Meningitis is an intractable disease in which inflammation of the meninges occurs-three thin layers of tissue surrounding the brain. This disease most often occurs because of an infection that usually spreads to the cerebral membranes from another place in the body.(In rare cases, meningitis can also be caused by tumors or chemical irritants.) Meningitis causes three main types of contagious diseases( bacterial, viral, fungal);The nature and strength of the symptoms vary depending on which microorganisms are the cause. For example, viral meningitis( the most common type) usually causes mild symptoms such as headache and malaise and passes itself in a week or two. Bacterial meningitis is a dangerous disease that can cause brain damage or even be fatal if left untreated.
Other types of meningitis( caused by fungus or tuberculosis) tend to progress slowly, but can also lead to brain damage and death in the absence of treatment. Immediate treatment should, therefore, be carried out even with moderate signs of meningitis. Precise diagnosis and treatment allow most people to recover completely, without chronic damage to the nervous system.
• Meningitis causes a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Meningococcal meningitis( bacterial, the most dangerous form) can occur in the form of epidemics.
• A higher risk of meningitis is associated with head trauma, brain surgery, cancer inside or near the brain, severe ear infections( Middle ear infections), sinusitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and alcoholism.
• Anyone whose immune system is weakened, such as AIDS, organ transplant, or chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer, is at great risk of developing meningitis.
• Temperature( can be very high in case of bacterial meningitis).
• Headache, possibly strong.
• Spasm of the neck muscles.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Light intolerance.
• Poor appetite in children.
• In bacterial meningitis: confusion, drowsiness, convulsions and loss of consciousness.
• With meningococcal meningitis: a red skin rash due to a hemorrhage to the skin.
Call a doctor immediately if you or your child are having symptoms of meningitis.
• Lumbar puncture( spinal puncture) for examination under a spinal fluid microscope for the presence of cells and microorganisms and for sowing a culture of bacteria and fungi.
• Blood cultures.
• Computed tomography or magnetic resonance examination can be performed during treatment.
This syndrome is named for the name of the Russian therapist VM Kernig( 1840-1917) who described him.
Symptom of irritation of the meninges( meningeal symptom): the inability to fully straighten the knee in the knee joint, previously bent in the hip and knee joints. The symptom may appear in the supine position or sitting position due to the tonic tension of the hamstrings. Observe with meningitis or meningoencephalitis, hemorrhage, craniocerebral trauma, increased intracranial pressure( for example, with a tumor or extensive ischemic stroke in the posterior cranial fossa).
• In case of bacterial meningitis, hospitalization is necessary. Antibiotics are given in large doses, often intravenously. Corticosteroids can be given to reduce inflammation, and tranquilizers can be used to prevent seizures.
• If the patient loses consciousness, a respirator may be necessary.
• Antibiotics are ineffective against viral meningitis, a form of the disease that is usually mild and occurs as a result of the body's own defensive response in a week or two. Treatment in this case is aimed at alleviating the symptoms. It includes resting in bed, drinking lots of fluids and taking over-the-counter painkillers, How to apply folk remedies here.
• Antifungal agents are prescribed to fight fungal infection.
• Antituberculosis drugs are given for tuberculous meningitis.
• Rapid treatment from bacterial infectious diseases elsewhere in the body, especially in the ear and upper respiratory tract, is necessary.
• Vaccines can protect against outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis, for example, in groups of recruits or pilgrims to Mecca. Travelers in the field of meningitis in Africa( in areas surrounding the Sahara) and entering the college should discuss the possibility of vaccination with a doctor.
• Antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection of those who are in close contact with other infected meningococcal meningitis.