Meningitis can be treated with antibiotics depending on when the illness was first diagnosed and how advanced the infection has become. Meningitis is caused by a virus or a bacterium, and knowing the specific cause is important because of the differences in the seriousness of the illness and how it should be treated. Bacterial meningitis is much more serious than viral meningitis and can result in brain damage and even death.

Bacterial meningitis is found all over the world, and the bacteria that cause it often live in a person’s mouth and throat without causing any harm. However, in rare instances, they can break through the body’s immune system and travel to the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord where they begin to multiply rapidly. Soon the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord becomes swollen and inflamed leading to meningitis.

The symptoms of meningitis are most often stiff neck, high fever and headache, and they can take two hours to two days to develop. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, sleepiness, and sensitivity to light. When the disease is advanced, bruises develop under the skin and then spread over the body. Bacterial meningitis is most common in infants and children but anyone can develop it. It is diagnosed by growing bacteria from a sample of spinal fluid obtained through a spinal tap. Proper identification of the bacteria responsible for meningitis is imperative for the proper selection of antibiotic treatment.

Physicians often fail to diagnose bacterial meningitis or misdiagnose it resulting in failure to give the proper treatment to the patient. Failure to diagnose meningitis properly can have grave consequences, including severe brain damage and death.

Meningitis can be treated with antibiotics depending on when the illness was first diagnosed and how advanced the infection has become. Meningitis is caused by a virus or a bacterium, and knowing the specific cause is important because of the differences in the seriousness of the illness and how it should be treated. Bacterial meningitis is much more serious than viral meningitis and can result in brain damage and even death.

Bacterial meningitis is found all over the world, and the bacteria that cause it often live in a person’s mouth and throat without causing any harm. However, in rare instances, they can break through the body’s immune system and travel to the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord where they begin to multiply rapidly. Soon the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord becomes swollen and inflamed leading to meningitis.

The symptoms of meningitis are most often stiff neck, high fever and headache, and they can take two hours to two days to develop. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, sleepiness, and sensitivity to light. When the disease is advanced, bruises develop under the skin and then spread over the body. Bacterial meningitis is most common in infants and children but anyone can develop it. It is diagnosed by growing bacteria from a sample of spinal fluid obtained through a spinal tap. Proper identification of the bacteria responsible for meningitis is imperative for the proper selection of antibiotic treatment.

Physicians often fail to diagnose bacterial meningitis or misdiagnose it resulting in failure to give the proper treatment to the patient. Failure to diagnose meningitis properly can have grave consequences, including severe brain damage and death.

Meningitis can be treated with antibiotics depending on when the illness was first diagnosed and how advanced the infection has become. Meningitis is caused by a virus or a bacterium, and knowing the specific cause is important because of the differences in the seriousness of the illness and how it should be treated. Bacterial meningitis is much more serious than viral meningitis and can result in brain damage and even death.

Bacterial meningitis is found all over the world, and the bacteria that cause it often live in a person’s mouth and throat without causing any harm. However, in rare instances, they can break through the body’s immune system and travel to the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord where they begin to multiply rapidly. Soon the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord becomes swollen and inflamed leading to meningitis.

The symptoms of meningitis are most often stiff neck, high fever and headache, and they can take two hours to two days to develop. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, sleepiness, and sensitivity to light. When the disease is advanced, bruises develop under the skin and then spread over the body. Bacterial meningitis is most common in infants and children but anyone can develop it. It is diagnosed by growing bacteria from a sample of spinal fluid obtained through a spinal tap. Proper identification of the bacteria responsible for meningitis is imperative for the proper selection of antibiotic treatment.

Physicians often fail to diagnose bacterial meningitis or misdiagnose it resulting in failure to give the proper treatment to the patient. Failure to diagnose meningitis properly can have grave consequences, including severe brain damage and death.

Dura mater, a parchment-like membrane, lies on the outermost part of the meninges and adheres to the skull and spinal canal. The cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is the fluid that circulates in the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord. In the past, most meningitis cases occurred in children younger than 5 years. But as a result of the protection offered by current childhood vaccines, most meningitis cases now occur in young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Older also tend to have a higher incidence of meningitis than do young children.

Bacterial meningitis is less common than viral meningitis but is usually much more serious and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Many different types of bacteria can cause meningitis: Group B Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes are the most common causes of meningitis in newborns. It’s also possible to get viral meningitis as a complication of chickenpox, but this is also very rare in healthy kids.

Meningococcal meningitis is endemic in parts of Africa, India, and other developing nations. Bacterial meningitis is contagious, which means it can be passed to someone else by spit or snot. Symptoms in infants under 12 months include high fever, fretfulness, irritability – particularly when handled, difficulty awakening, drowsiness, difficulty feeding, and/or a stiff neck, or bulging fontanelle. Meningitis also can lead to skin rashes, although rashes caused by bacterial meningitis look different from those caused by viral meningitis. Immunosuppressed patients are at increased risk of opportunistic infections and acute bacterial meningitis.

Immunosuppressed patients may not show dramatic signs of fever or meningeal inflammation. Complications of bacterial meningitis may require specific treatment. Rest, fluids, and good nutrition, as well as measures to control fever and relieve pain, will ease discomfort and aid in recovery from viral meningitis. Drugs such as dexamethasone ( a steroid, different from the steroids abused by bodybuilders, that can reduce swelling of the brain) are sometimes given to reduce inflammation or to reduce the chance, or spread, of septicemia.