Meningitis is a disease caused by microbes: viruses, bacteria, rarely - fungi. No one is safe from its appearance, but children and adolescents are most susceptible to the disease, especially those who have congenital or acquired pathologies of the brain. Elderly people with weakened immunity and a chronic violation of the blood supply to the brain also often suffer meningitis. The first signs of this disease should be known to everyone.
How does infection with meningitis occur?The virus can get to a person by airborne droplets, through water and food products that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment, through insect bites, by contact. Also, while in the body for a long time, it can activate and penetrate the membrane of the brain from lymphocytes or nerve cells with suppressed immunity (these are herpes viruses, Epstein-Barra, cytomegalovirus). If the virus is given a sufficient rebuff to the body's defense systems, meningitis will not develop.
Bacterial meningitis most often occurs when the pathogen spreads to the brain membranes from the ear cavity with purulent otitis media, from the nose - with purulent rhinitis, from the sinuses. It can be introduced from the blood during sepsis, and also directly to the membrane during penetrating wounds of the cranial cavity or spine.
If the meningitis is viral, it is almost impossible to get it from the patient. The maximum that you get is a viral uncomplicated disease that will have the form of SARS, intestinal infection, herpetic eruptions, as well as measles, chickenpox, mumps and other viral infections. You can get sick if the immune system is very weak or a very aggressive pathogen. Therefore, if your child had contact with another child in the children's team, who subsequently was diagnosed with viral meningitis, you should know the first signs of the disease , but you should not panic because of this. You can limit yourself only to the prophylactic use of Arbidol, Anaferon or Groprinosin. You can drip droplets with interferon into your nose.
If meningitis has developed as a complication of other purulent diseases, it is not contagious. That is, if you talked with a relative whose purulent meningitis appeared as a result of untreated or improperly treated otitis media, sinusitis (or other sinusitis), pneumonia, you can not worry about yourself. Only one bacterium, meningococcus, which causes infectious meningitis (also called epidemic), can be transmitted from one person to another. The source can be a person with a meningococcal infection (it can manifest as a runny nose and sore throat, or as a rash or meningitis) or a carrier of this bacterium. He "distributes" germs with conversation, coughing and sneezing. People who have had close contact with such a person are infected: relatives or children in the children's team. Among them, there are outbreaks of meningitis. If you or your child has had contact with a person who has a meningococcal infection, consult with an infectious disease specialist about the prophylactic use of antibiotics - whether this is indicated in this case and when you may develop meningitis.
The first signs and symptoms of this disease
The initial symptoms of the disease can be a runny nose, malaise, weakness, cough. A rash may appear: one that is characteristic of rubella, measles, chickenpox, herpes, or shingles. If a rash of dark red, brown or black color occurs, which does not itch and does not hurt, does not become paler when stretching the skin under it, urgently call an ambulance: this may be meningococcal meningitis, the first signs of which may appear much later.
The earliest symptoms of meningitis are:
- the appearance of a severe headache, which is relieved for a short time by painkillers, increases with a sharp turn of the head, bright light, loud noises;
- increased body temperature (a mandatory sign of meningitis);
- nausea, vomiting, which occur against the background of a headache, are not accompanied by diarrhea.
Later, there may appear: a violation of consciousness by the type of arousal and inadequacy, or, conversely, in the form of a state when it is difficult to wake a person; convulsions, delusions, hallucinations. A large fontanel swells in the kids, they become drowsy, refuse to eat and drink, do not want to go hand in hand, and lie, throwing their head back.