Content
Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites, in addition to non-infectious agents, such as trauma caused by heavy blows to the head, for example.
The signs and symptoms of meningitis in adults appear suddenly and are initially characterized by high fever, above 39ºC and severe headache, which makes it easier to confuse the disease with a common flu or a daily malaise.
The severity of the disease and treatment vary according to the causative agent, with the bacterial form being the most severe. Find out how the clinical diagnosis of meningitis is made.
Main symptoms
As it is a serious disease, it is recommended to pay attention to the appearance of the following symptoms that show that meningitis may occur:
- High and sudden fever;
- Strong headache that doesn't go away;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Pain and difficulty in moving the neck;
- Dizziness and difficulty concentrating;
- Mental confusion;
- Difficulty placing your chin on your chest;
- Sensitivity to light and noise;
- Drowsiness and tiredness;
- Lack of appetite and thirst.
In addition, red or purple spots on the skin of varying sizes may also appear, which characterizes meningococcal meningitis, a serious form of the disease.
How to confirm if it is meningitis
Confirmation of the diagnosis of meningitis is done by laboratory tests, using blood or cerebrospinal fluid, which is the fluid that is present in the spine. These tests allow us to know what type of disease and what is the most appropriate treatment.
Who is most at risk
The number of adults aged 20 to 39 infected with some type of meningitis has increased in recent years. However, children aged 0 to 5 years are still at risk for meningitis, due to immaturity of the immune system, if contact with an infected child is suspected, care should be sought at the nearest health center. .
How the treatment is done
The treatment against meningitis is done in hospital with the use of medications according to the causative agent of the disease, the most used can be:
- Antibiotics: when meningitis is caused by bacteria;
- Antifungals: when meningitis is caused by fungi;
- Antiparasitic: when meningitis is caused by parasites.
In the case of viral meningitis, antiviral drugs can be used, depending on the type of virus that caused the disease, but in most cases the person will be under observation to check the vital signs and if there is no worsening of the case, only relief medications are used. of symptoms.Recovery from viral meningitis is spontaneous and occurs within a few weeks.
See more details about treatment for meningitis.
How to avoid getting meningitis
The main way to prevent meningitis is through the vaccine, which protects against various forms of the disease. However, these vaccines are not commonly used in adults, but in newborns and children up to 12 years of age, according to the vaccination schedule. Check out the vaccines that protect against meningitis.
In addition, washing your hands frequently and keeping rooms well ventilated and clean also helps to prevent the transmission of meningitis.
The most common way to be infected with meningitis is to come into direct contact with respiratory secretions from people who have had meningitis in the past seven days, such as sneezing, coughing or even droplets of saliva that remain in the air after a conversation indoors.