Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Signs And Symptoms Of Meningitis, The Causes And Risk Factors

By Cornelia Reyes


Most people confuse the signs and symptoms of meningitis from those of other medical conditions such as influenza. As a matter of fact, an outbreak will mostly be characterized by a flu-like infection or illness, hence the huge confusion. The need to be alert and learn the characteristic signs can never be overemphasized enough. This ensures you act quickly and the right measures are taken on time, a move that can actually save a life.

The actual cause of this debilitating medical condition is yet to be fully documented, but it can come about as a result of a viral infection, a bacterial infection, or sometimes a fungal infection. The most serious and life-threatening of cases are those brought about by bacterial infections. Identifying the root cause of the problem is often an important part of developing an effective treatment plan.

Skipping vaccinations, whether as a kid or an adult, will certainly make you vulnerable and so is age. According to statistics, meningitis is most common in kids under the age of five, and those below the age of 20, especially if they are living in community settings. This gets even worse if any scheduled vaccinations had been skipped previously for whatever reasons.

Considering the fact that the disease causing bacteria spreads very fast through the respiratory tract, it means people living in community settings are at a high risk of getting infected. Such settings include dormitories, child care facilities and military camps. This explains the outbreak patterns in most situations when large groups congregate.

Pregnancy also makes one susceptible. Expectant mothers are often susceptible to listeriosis, a bacterial infection brought about by listeria bacteria, which can equally lead to the condition. Needless to mention, this may also subject your unborn child to the disease.

Diabetics, HIV/AIDs patients, alcoholics, and people using immunosuppressant drugs are also at a very high risk of developing the disease. This is attributed to their compromised immune system. With that being said, here is what you should expect when you suspect this medical condition.

There characteristics associated with adults and kids above the age of 2 and others mostly associated with toddlers and newborns. If you experience, or your loved one experiences a sudden high fever, nausea and vomiting accompanied by a very severe and pounding headache, seizures, stiff neck, light sensitivity, sleepiness or difficulty being fully awake, confusion and difficulty concentrating, and skin rashes, it could be an indication of this condition.

For newborns and toddlers, the symptoms could be irritability, poor feeding, crying regularly which worsens when the toddler is picked, excessive/abnormal sleepiness, extremely high fever, stiff neck and stiff parts of the body, and a swell in the fontanel.

It is important to mention that most of the signs and symptoms of meningitis mentioned above are more or less like those of most other medical conditions. It is because of this that it is highly recommended that you seek urgent medical attention when such signs as a persistent and very severe headache, sudden high fever, confusion, vomiting, and stiff neck sets in. At the very least, you will get an opportunity to have an early diagnosis hence improve your chances of getting healed permanently.




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