What You Should Know About Meningitis

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is caused by an infection in the cerebral spinal fluid, that causes inflammation of the meniges (the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord). Meningitis is less common now in young children due to the vaccines available to inoculate them for preschool. Prior to the vaccination of preschoolers, meningitis was most prevalent in children under the age of 5. But now the incidence of meningitis is higher in young adults between the ages of 15 and 24.

Meningitis is caused by fungal, bacterial and viral infections. The bacterial form of meningitis is the most serious of all. There is no way to know what form of meningitis is present until a sample of cerebral spinal fluid is obtained from a spinal tap and examined to determine the organism responsible for the infection.

What are the signs and symptoms of meningitis?

The early signs and symptoms of meningitis may resemble the flu. As more symptoms occur, it is evident that medical help is necessary. The sighns and symptoms of meningitis include:

.Severe headache, with or without nausea and vomiting
High fever
Inability to concentrate
Confusion, disorientation
Inability to hold eye contact-in young children
Sleepiness, may have difficulty in waking up
Sensitivity to light-photophobia
Seizures
Stiff neck
Decreased interest in eating and drinking
Skin rash-in viral and bacterial forms of meningitis
Leg pain
Cold hands and feet
Pallor-pale skin

These symptoms may not be present in infants and newborns. Babies may be cranky, irritable, extremely sleepy and may not way to eat. The soft spot on the top of the baby's head may be bulging. Bacterial meningitis in infants and young children is the most serious form of the infection, and if it is not treated quickly, it can lead to brain damage and death in just a few days.

What causes meningitis?

Meningitis is most commonly caused by a viral infection, but it could also be caused from a bacterial or fungal infection. The bacterial infection is the most serious of all, which is why early diagnosis and treatment is necessary. The most common of the bacterial forms of meningitis are: