Meningitis is an infectious inflammation of the membranes of the brain. In the old days, mortality from this disease was very high. Modern medicine has effective antibiotics that can successfully fight the infection. This has significantly improved the prognosis for life, but the risk of complications is still very high. Why is meningitis dangerous? And what consequences can it lead to? We will answer these questions in the article.
Reasons and ways of transmission
The disease in most cases is infectious. Is meningitis dangerous for others? The answer to this question will depend on the variety of pathology.
Doctors distinguish primary and secondary meningitis. In the first case, inflammation of the meninges occurs as an independent pathology. Secondary meningitis is always a consequence of other infectious diseases.
Primary meningitis is most often caused by meningococci. Less commonly, other types of coccal bacteria, as well as enteroviruses, become causative agents of the disease.
The primary form of meningitis is always contagious. If the cause of the disease is bacteria, then the disease is transmitted only by airborne droplets. If the inflammation is provoked by viruses, then other methods of infection are possible:
- through food and utensils;
- through dirty hands;
- through objects with which the patient was in contact;
- through water (for example, while swimming in pools);
- through the blood;
- intrauterine route from mother to fetus.
A sick person becomes contagious about 1 to 2 days after the first manifestations of the disease. However, the insidiousness of meningitis lies in the fact that in some cases, the initial symptoms can be very similar to a common cold. The patient underestimates the danger of the disease and often infects other people.
As for secondary meningitis, this disease occurs as a complication of other infectious pathologies, for example, sinusitis, otitis media, boils on the face and many others. In this case, bacteria enter the brain through the bloodstream from the lesion. We can say that a person becomes infected from himself. This form of the disease is not dangerous to other people.
In people with immunodeficiency, fungi and protozoa can cause inflammation of the meninges. Such forms of the disease are also not transmitted to others.
In addition, there are non-infectious forms of meningitis. The inflammatory process can develop due to injuries, tumors, neurosurgical operations. Of course, this type of pathology is not dangerous for other people.
Classification
What is the most dangerous meningitis? This question often worries patients. Let's try to understand the classification of this pathology.
By the type of pathogen, the following forms of meningitis are distinguished:
- bacterial;
- viral;
- fungal;
- protozoal.
Bacterial meningitis is much more severe than viral meningitis. It is accompanied by higher mortality and often leads to complications.
As already mentioned, fungal and protozoal meningitis are not transmitted from person to person. However, these forms of the disease are extremely dangerous for the patient himself. They are very difficult and are accompanied by high mortality. One of the most severe varieties of the disease is considered acute amoebic meningitis. A fatal outcome with this pathology is noted in 90% of cases.
There is also a classification according to the nature of the current. The following forms of pathology are distinguished:
- lightning fast;
- sharp;
- subacute;
- chronic.
What is the danger of meningitis in fulminant form? With this pathology, the symptoms of damage to the meninges grow rapidly, within about 1 day. In the morning, the first signs of the disease may appear in a person - fever, headache, malaise. And by evening, the condition becomes so severe that it poses a serious threat to the life of the patient. This is the most dangerous form of pathology, which often ends fatally. Often, doctors simply do not have time to help the patient.
The spread of the inflammatory process also matters. The larger the lesion, the harder the disease progresses, and the higher the likelihood of complications.
Initial symptoms
What is the danger of meningitis at an early stage? This disease can begin acutely. The patient immediately develops a painful headache, a sharp rise in temperature, photophobia, and vomiting. In this case, there is no doubt that the patient has a severe lesion of the nervous system.
But often the first signs of the disease resemble the symptoms of respiratory infections. A person has a slight malaise, weakness, headache is not pronounced. Runny nose, cough, sore throat. Doctors call this condition meningeal nasopharyngitis. Signs of damage to the central system are growing very slowly. Often, patients do not immediately go to the doctor.
What is dangerous meningitis for adults? In childhood, this disease is very quickly manifested by neurological symptoms. Meningeal nasopharyngitis is more commonly seen in adults. There is a great danger of starting a disease. Often, patients call a doctor only with a sharp deterioration in well-being. As a result, treatment was started late, and the disease in such cases often gives complications.
How to distinguish meningeal nasopharyngitis from a common cold? With inflammation of the meninges, the muscles of the neck and neck are always very tense. In acute respiratory infections, this symptom is not observed. Pain in the limbs and cooling of the skin should also alert. These manifestations occur even earlier than the tension of the occipital muscles.
Detailed symptoms
In the acute stage of the disease, an unbearable headache occurs, photophobia, very high fever, rashes on the skin. The patient lies in a characteristic position, bending his legs to the body and drawing in his stomach. These are typical signs of irritation of the meninges.
What is the danger of meningitis at the stage of detailed symptoms? Inflammation can pass from membranes to brain tissue. Doctors call this pathology meningoencephalitis. In this case, after recovery, the patient retains neurological disorders for a long time, which often cause disability.
In the acute stage, there is also a great risk of a brain abscess. Such consequences often occur in patients with chronic sinusitis. Suppuration leads to cerebral edema and increases the risk of death. In this case, it is necessary to carry out surgical treatment of the abscess.
Early effects
What is the danger of meningitis after the disappearance of acute signs of inflammation? This disease can affect the well-being of a person for some time after improvement. In the first months after recovery, the patient may experience the following consequences of an infection:
- Intracranial hypertension. It is expressed in periodic bursting headaches and dizziness.
- Damage to the cranial nerves. This complication is accompanied by impaired vision, smell, and facial neuralgia.
- Thrombosis of cerebral arteries. This is a dangerous violation of cerebral circulation, which, without treatment, can lead to cerebral ischemia and stroke.
After suffering meningitis, the patient needs to visit a neurologist regularly for 2 years. This will help to identify complications in time.
Late consequences
Why is meningitis dangerous? The consequences of the disease can occur after a fairly long period after recovery. Late complications include:
- Epilepsy. Convulsive attacks after suffering meningitis are observed in about half of patients.
- Hearing loss. In some patients, hearing deteriorates in the early days of the disease. Most often this is noted with meningitis caused by pneumococci. Hearing loss may persist for a long time after recovery.
- Imbalance and coordination of movements. Patients often feel dizzy, gait becomes shaky, they experience uncertainty during movement. These are residual neurological disorders after meningitis, which can even cause disability.
- Paralysis and paresis of the lower extremities.
Many patients mistakenly believe that meningitis necessarily leads to mental disorders. Nowadays, such complications are very rare, only with very late treatment to the doctor. However, if the disease was started, then after recovery, the development of dementia (dementia) cannot be ruled out.
In children
Children suffer from meningitis more often than adults. This is due to the fact that the child’s immune system is still being formed. The disease in children is much more difficult than in adults.
What is dangerous meningitis in children? This disease can lead to the same dangerous consequences as in adult patients. However, there are specific complications of this pathology, which are characteristic precisely for childhood. These include:
- Hydrocephalus. In children, after meningitis, cerebrospinal fluid outflow may be impaired. This leads to an increase in intracranial pressure and an increase in the head. In infants, this complication is observed in about 30% of cases.
- Convulsive seizures. This complication is much more common in children than in adults. Seizures in a child can occur in the early days of the illness and persist for a long time after the disappearance of acute symptoms. On the electroencephalogram, foci of epileptic activity are noted.
- Intellectual impairment. Children who have undergone meningitis often lag behind peers in mental development. They have reduced memory and cognitive abilities, they are poorly learning new skills.
Viral form
How dangerous is virus-induced meningitis? This disease is much easier than the bacterial form. It rarely ends fatally (in 1% of cases). The disease is accompanied by fever, headache, nausea, aching in the joints. However, typical meningeal symptoms are poorly expressed. The patient may not have neck muscle tension and other neurological disorders.
What is dangerous viral meningitis? In some patients, after recovery, the following residual effects may persist:
- Cerebral asthenia. This condition is characterized by increased fatigue, periodic headaches, memory impairment and decreased mental performance.
- Neurotic manifestations. Patients after illness have a decreased mood, emotional instability, irritability, and tearfulness.
- High blood pressure. Hypertension occurs quite rarely, in about 5% of cases.
Typically, such effects are observed during the first 1 to 3 months after recovery. However, further relapses may occur. They are most often triggered by physical and mental overload. Therefore, after suffering viral meningitis, a gentle regimen must be observed for at least 6 months.
Conclusion
How to prevent the dangerous effects of meningitis? It is necessary to consult a doctor at the first sign of a headache and fever. Such manifestations should not be attributed solely to the common cold, because they can indicate a serious illness. The sooner treatment is started, the less likely the occurrence of complications.