Meningitis is a life-threatening disease, the occurrence of which sometimes counts not just for days, but even for hours. Most often, it has a secondary nature, that is, it occurs as a complication of bacterial diseases of the ear, throat, nose, lungs, blood poisoning. Meningitis can complicate the course of almost any viral disease: rubella, chickenpox, mumps, mononucleosis, measles, which are usually treated at home. Therefore, it is important for a person not only to follow all the doctor’s recommendations, but also to know the first symptoms of meningitis.
How can meningitis begin?Viral meningitis usually occurs against the background of an existing viral disease. That is, at first the person complains of a runny nose, fever, rash (if it is measles, rubella, chicken pox), cough. Then the first symptoms of meningitis appear: severe headache, lethargy, drowsiness, repeated (or even greater) increase in body temperature. Convulsions with impaired breathing, depression of consciousness, delirium, inadequate behavior, hallucinations can quickly join a headache. These signs, especially those arising against the background of a previous minor ailment, a feeling of soreness or discomfort in the throat, can mean that in this case there is herpetic meningitis, which is very life-threatening and leaves serious consequences even when timely, adequate specific therapy is carried out. Therefore, in this case, an ambulance call and a trip to an infectious diseases hospital should not be delayed even for a minute.
The first symptoms of meningitis in case of its bacterial origin1. If it occurs against the background of otitis media, pneumonia, and a constant flow of cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) from the ear or nose, a person notes an intense headache, which is practically not removed by painkillers, and body temperature rises. Sometimes the patient notices that it becomes impossible to reach the sternum with the chin.
Other first symptoms of meningitis in adults: a person tries to lie more, with sharp turns of the head, he notes an increase in headache. It is painful for him to look at the light, his head “breaks up” with loud noises, and often there is also an increased sensitivity of the skin (a light touch to the skin is very unpleasant). The appetite disappears, and when you try to eat and drink, nausea and vomiting occur. There is no diarrhea.
In such cases, especially with a constant flow of cerebrospinal fluid from the nose or ear, clouding of consciousness, delirium, inadequacy, loss of orientation in time and place, lethargy, and convulsions with respiratory arrest quickly join these symptoms.
2. In the case of a meningococcal infection, the first symptoms of meningitis (headache, increased skin sensitivity, nausea and vomiting) can occur against a background of high fever and a characteristic rash, less often against a runny nose with yellow or white discharge and slight malaise.
The appearance of a dark rash that does not itch and does not hurt does not fade when pressed with transparent glass - this is an indication for an emergency call. Such a rash is not a symptom of meningitis per se, it is a sign of meningococcal (less commonly, hemophilic or pneumococcal) infection, its septic form, which can cause death. In the case of an incomprehensible rash, in no case should you wait for the appearance of drowsiness or headache, since precious time is wasted.
Meningitis: the first symptoms in children
Children who already know how to speak, most often also complain of a headache, which appeared against a background of fever, when taking an anesthetic, the pain disappears for a short time, the child may not even lose his usual activity for some time. Nausea also appears, sometimes - vomiting, regardless of the meal, the baby will try to lie more.
In infants, the first symptoms can be considered at first the excitement, when the child does not calm down, and cries even more if taken in his hands, then drowsiness appears against the background of increased body temperature to different numbers (often up to 39-40 degrees). Then the child becomes more drowsy, lies, trying to tilt the head back, cries when the light is turned on or loud sounds. He also experiences vomiting, often repeated.
Signs of meningitis in babies up to one year are also considered bulging of a large fontanel (it should be flush with the bones of the skull), cramps that occurred when the body temperature was normal or slightly (up to 38 degrees), a rash of dark color, bending of the legs, if the child was kept “column” .