Facts To Help You Identify The Early Signs And Symptoms Of Meningitis

By Kathryn Neal


The signs and symptoms of meningitis are not easy to spot. This is because the disease has symptoms that are somehow identical to those of flu. It would be imperative to know the assurance signs of the ailment. This could play a great role in helping save a life. You should be familiar with the fact that there are two types of meningitis: viral and bacterial.

The disease causes the inflammation of the membrane coating of the spinal cord and the brain. This lining is referred to as the meninges. Bacterial meningitis shows its indicators within a few hours or a few days. The viral version of this disease normally develops faster over a few days. You can differentiate the two types of this illness by going for medical tests. You will also be able to tell because they have different warning indicators.

It is important to know that the illness can cause death. It is therefore wise to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Early treatment can save a patient from death and even result to complete recovery in children. Remember that the signs of meningitis do not appear in any format or at one go.

Bacterial meningitis can be fatal. This is because its warning signs show suddenly and get worse very rapidly. It would be best to call for an ambulance the minute you make any suspicions. There are several signs that you should expect to see before the symptoms show. They include muscle pains and pain in joints and limbs, shivering, cold feet and hands, blue lips, pale or blotchy skin and fever.

Once you have seen the signs of the ailment the symptoms follow in closely. This could include vomiting, nausea, headaches and a general feel of sickness. The temperature of adults and children is normally 38 degrees Celsius. Any temperature above this could be a fever.

In the extreme case of this disease a patient may experience photophobia, drowsiness, seizures, stiffness of the neck and confusion. Both stiffness of the neck and photophobia seldom occurs in young children. Other danger signals that you should be on the lookout for include rapid breathing and freckled red rashes. Infants with the ailment may develop rough movements and even become unresponsive. The infant may also sleep a lot, experience severe loss of appetite, vomit and maintain a staring blank expression.

Viral meningitis makes a patient to experience symptoms that resemble those of a mild flu. The patient may experience fever, headaches and a general feeling of being sick. In severe cases vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, photophobia, neck stiffness, muscle pains or joint pains may be experienced.

The signs and symptoms of meningitis may vary depending on the stage of condition. It is important to know that the bacterial version of the disease can cause septicaemia. This is also referred to as blood poisoning. You should also know that anyone could get the ailment because it is not hereditary. The ailment is considered to be neither airborne nor waterborne though it is contagious.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment