Early treatment of bacterial meningitis can prevent serious complications. Early meningitis symptoms may mimic the flu influenza. Symptoms may develop over several hours or over a few days. Seek immediate medical care if you or someone in your family has meningitis signs or symptoms, such as:. Bacterial meningitis is serious and can be fatal within days without prompt antibiotic treatment.
Delayed treatment increases the risk of permanent brain damage or death. It's also important to talk to your doctor if a family member or someone you live or work with has meningitis.
You may need to take medications to prevent getting the infection. Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the fluid and three membranes meninges protecting your brain and spinal cord. The tough outer membrane is called the dura mater, and the delicate inner layer is the pia mater. The middle layer is the arachnoid, a weblike structure containing the fluid and blood vessels covering the surface of the brain. Viral infections are the most common cause of meningitis, followed by bacterial infections and, rarely, fungal and parasitic infections.
Because bacterial infections can be life-threatening, identifying the cause is essential. Bacteria that enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord cause acute bacterial meningitis. But it can also occur when bacteria directly invade the meninges. This may be caused by an ear or sinus infection, a skull fracture, or — rarely — some surgeries.
Viral meningitis is usually mild and often clears on its own. Most cases in the United States are caused by a group of viruses known as enteroviruses, which are most common in late summer and early fall.
Viruses such as herpes simplex virus, HIV , mumps virus, West Nile virus and others also can cause viral meningitis. Slow-growing organisms such as fungi and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that invade the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain cause chronic meningitis.
Chronic meningitis develops over two weeks or more. The signs and symptoms of chronic meningitis — headache, fever, vomiting and mental cloudiness — are similar to those of acute meningitis. Fungal meningitis is relatively uncommon in the United States.
It may mimic acute bacterial meningitis. It's often contracted by breathing in fungal spores that may be found in soil, decaying wood and bird droppings. Bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis cause meningococcal disease. About 1 in 10 people have these bacteria in the back of their nose and throat without being ill. Sometimes the bacteria invade the body and cause certain illnesses, which are known as meningococcal disease.
People spread meningococcal bacteria to other people by sharing respiratory and throat secretions saliva or spit. Generally, it takes close for example, coughing or kissing or lengthy contact to spread these bacteria.
Fortunately, they are not as contagious as germs that cause the common cold or the flu. It is sensible hygiene advice not to share drink bottles, glasses or cups. Good hand hygiene can also helps to prevent the spread of some infections. There are many types of meningitis and many different ways of spreading infection.
The most important thing that anyone to can do to protect themselves and others from meningitis is to make sure they and their loved ones get all their vaccinations. This not only protects the person who gets vaccinated, but also protects the wider population by preventing the spread of the bacteria that cause disease.
After qualifying in medicine in , James Stuart worked for ten years as a clinical doctor in the UK and rural South Africa before specialising in public health and epidemiology of infectious diseases, particularly meningococcal disease. He has been involved in the investigation and control of outbreaks of meningococcal disease in the UK and international level, and has published extensively on the epidemiology of meningococcal disease and carriage.
How does meningitis spread? March Bacteria can spread from one person to another by droplets from the nose and mouth, for example, by coughing in close contact. About meningitis vaccines. There are vaccines against some forms of meningitis.
Typically, symptoms of bacterial meningitis develop within 3 to 7 days after exposure; note, this is not true for TB meningitis, which can develop much later after exposure to the bacteria.
People with bacterial meningitis can have seizures, go into a coma, and even die. For this reason, anyone who thinks they may have meningitis should see a doctor as soon as possible. If a doctor suspects meningitis, they will collect samples of blood or cerebrospinal fluid fluid near the spinal cord.
A laboratory will test the samples to see what is causing the infection. Knowing the specific cause of meningitis helps doctors treat it. Doctors treat bacterial meningitis with a number of antibiotics.
It is important to start treatment as soon as possible. Vaccines are the most effective way to protect against certain types of bacterial meningitis. There are vaccines for 4 types of bacteria that can cause meningitis:. Make sure you and your child are vaccinated on schedule. The vaccines also do not protect against infections from all the types strains of each of these bacteria.
For these reasons, there is still a chance vaccinated people can develop bacterial meningitis. When someone has bacterial meningitis, a doctor may recommend antibiotics to help prevent people around the patient from getting sick. Doctors call this prophylaxis.
0コメント