What is Meningitis?
Meningitis
is a serious disease in which inflammation of the membranes surrounding the
spinal cord and brain. These membranes are termed as meninges due to which the
illness is named after. This infection can be viral or bacterial. However, it
can also be a fungal infection. One of the most common forms of this disease is
viral meningitis. But bacterial meningitis is the most serious form of the infection.
Without the right treatment, bacterial meningitis can lead to serious issues
such as seizures, paralysis, sepsis,
stroke and in
some cases death.
The
bacterial of meningitis is extremely serious. A patient may face death in as
little as a few hours. Meningitis
can cause permanent disabilities like a learning disability, brain
damage and
hearing loss due to various infections.
There
are various types of bacteria that can cause
meningitis. Some of the most common
include group B Streptococcus,
Streptococcus, pneumonia,
and neisseria meningitides.
Bacterial Meningitis is caused by several types of bacteria
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Neisseria meningitidis also called
meningococcus
• Streptococcus
pneumonia, or pneu mococcus
• Haemophilus influenza, or Hib
Common
Signs and Symptoms
The
common symptoms of meningitis include stiff neck, fever, and headache. But
there are a number of additional symptoms that include:
Nausea
Altered mental status (confusion)
Vomiting
Upset Stomach
High temperature
Fast breathing
Aches and pains
The
symptoms of bacterial meningitis can appear within several days. They can
develop
within the time span of 3 to 7 days after exposure. It can be very
difficult to notice signs in newborns. The classic symptoms of headache, fever,
and neck stiffness may be difficult to notice or absent in the case of
children. You may notice the baby becomes slower or inactive, vomiting,
irritable, or feeding poorly.
If
you examine any of these signs in your child, contact a doctor immediately. The
bacteria which cause meningitis can live in the body and the environment around
you. Most of the bacteria that cause this form of the infection are spread
through close personal contact, including sneezing and coughing.
How to Endure an Upset
Stomach from Different Antibiotics Due to Bacterial Meningitis
The
most common ways to treat bacterial meningitis is with antibiotics. It is
essential that treatment must be started as soon as possible. Corticosteroid
drugs like dexamethasone can also be used for reducing inflammation in the
brain.
Arthomycin
is one of the best antibiotics prescribed by a physician to treat vomiting or
upset stomach. These can be given directly to the small intestine or stomach
via a thin tube which is inserted in the nose.
Symptoms
differ from individual to individual, especially in the case of children and
adults. If a person is diagnosed with septicemia, a doctor would look for signs
of shock. Because clinical shock can occur when blood circulation of the body
is not right, it is important that
this issue is treated in the right manner to
avoid worsening the situation for the patient.
