Meningitis is a serious, scary and often fatal disease that takes victims by surprise in the most devastating way. There are several different ways to contract this disease and often getting treatment early saves lives. This disease involves inflamed meninges that cover the brain stem and spinal cord. It is also called Spinal Meningitis. Some of the symptoms of Meningitis include nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light and disorientation. This is during the early stages when it’s the most important time to get to the doctor. If a person has been exposed to another person who has had Meningitis, they should go to the doctor for treatment as a precaution.

The illness can be caused by bacteria, viruses or infections, cancer, injuries and taking certain drugs. If not treated, Meningitis is generally fatal. Smaller children may not have the same symptoms as adults or be able to correctly describe them. People in schools or other places where there crowds of people are at an increased risk because of the number of people and the ease with which it spreads. Newborns are also at risk for Meningitis and public day cares are an especially easy place for the condition to spread.

Having an immune disorder is also a risk factor for Meningitis because of the decreased ability to kill bacteria. Those who have been sustained an injury to the face, may be exposed to bacteria from the nasal cavity which ends up causing Meningitis. For treatment, if found early enough, antibiotics generally will cure the disease. However, if not treated early enough, there may not be any treatment that will work. If a certain drug increases the risk of Meningitis, patients should thoroughly discuss it with their doctors.

According to research, the most common causes for Meningitis are either a viral infection or bacterial infection. Meningitis is a disease that is more common than most people would like to think. Millions of people have been stricken with the debilitating disease. Meningitis is defined as an inflammation of membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.

There are two types of the condition. Viral Meningitis is the most common type of this disease. This is also the less severe form. Bacterial meningitis is the more severe form of the disease. In fact, bacterial Meningitis was once fatal to most. Once antibiotics were introduced, the fatality rate among sufferers dropped. Let’s take a closer look at the causes of Meningitis.

In some rare cases, a fungal infection might be the main culprit behind the onset of the disease. Health professionals state that it is important to find the reason or causes of the Meningitis as soon as possible in the patient because it better helps them treat the condition before it progresses. Finding the main cause behind the Meningitis is the only way to treat the disease successfully.

A bacterial infection results when bacteria gets into the patients’ blood stream and travels to the brain and spinal cord. Doctors also stress that a bacterial infection might also occur as the result of a ear or sinus infection. Even an injury such as a skull fracture can cause a bacterial infection that in turn, causes the disease. Viral infections are milder forms of the disease and usually last a few weeks in patients. Viral infections are often the result of unknown viruses in the environment.

Meningitis is a potentially lethal infection of the tissues or meninges around the brain and the spinal chord and it’s important to know how to diagnose Meningitis or spot the disease to receive early treatment. Although often thought of as a children’s disorder, the condition can affect people of all ages. Unfortunately, the disease can kill in a matter of hours, so it is essential that anyone exhibiting symptoms of Meningitis be taken to a hospital immediately.

The main symptoms of Meningitis are a high fever, a stiff neck and a terrible headache. Some patients have reported getting a migraine or severe headache on one side of the face accompanied by dizziness and nausea. Adult patients can become far more confused than usual, complain of nausea, complain that any light is painfully bright, may vomit or go into a series of dry heaves. If left untreated, they could go into seizures.

Small children or newborns often get strange red spots on their neck and chest but yet not have a fever. Although they may not vomit, they will lose their appetites. Some children under two years old develop a noticeable bulge on the head. Small children do not have fully formed skulls. When the meninges tissues are swollen, they can push the soft skull out and create a large lump.

There are two causes of Meningitis and treatment depends on diagnosing correctly. Contracting a virus or bacteria causes the onset of the disease. The only way to be sure of a diagnosis is to get a spinal tap. This is done by inserting a long, fine needle into the spine in order to collect spinal fluid. This is then analysed in a lab, generally at a hospital. Do not try to self-diagnose or self-medicate for Meningitis because of the possible severity of the disease which can lead to death if not treated properly.

Meningitis can be very serious; as a matter of fact certain types of bacterial meningitis can be rapidly fatal without early treatment. It is one of the conditions considered to be a medical emergency that is related to infectious diseases.

Just a little basic anatomy before I continue. The brain and spinal cord have two protective coverings; the outer bone part consisting of the skull and spinal cord, and the inner three layers of membranes called the meninges.

Between and around the meninges are spaces, most importantly for our discussion is the subarachnoid space. The subarachnoid space is where cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is found.

What is CSF? It is a fluid produced by the choroid plexus. It provides buoyancy and cushioning for the brain, it carries nutrients and cleanses waste from around the brain and spinal cord and helps the brain monitor the internal environment.

So what is meningitis? It is an infection within the subarachnoid space or throughout the meninges. Depending on the offending organism, meningitis is considered either septic (bacterial) or aseptic (viral).

How do microorganisms find their way to the central nervous system (CNS)? There are four routes of infection:

o Bloodborne
The organism in the bloodstream gets through the defense mechanism known as the blood-brain barrier. This is the most common way and not very well understood.
o From an infected site close to the CNS
Infections from the middle ear or sinuses that is close to or contiguous to the CNS.
o The result of surgery or trauma that may allow organisms into the CNS.
o Certain viruses like rabies or herpes simplex can travel along nerves to the brain.

Certain factors can make you more susceptible to meningitis. First is age. Due to a immature immune system, newborns are at greater risk. They usually pick up the organism from the colonized vaginal tract of the mother. Group B streptococci, E.coli and other gram negative rods and Listeria are the main causes of bacterial meningitis in the newborn.

Haemphilus influenza type B was once the number one cause of meningitis in children under 6. But since the introduction of the Hib vaccine, it has been extremely rare.

Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcal) are associated with young adults particularly in close environments like military barracks and college dormitories.

In adults, Streptococcus pneumonia (pneumococcal) and Listeria are important causes.

The respiratory tract is the primary portal of several of these organisms, hence factors that predispose someone to pneumonia also do so with meningitis; alcoholism, diabetes, splenectomy and immunosuppression.

In bacterial meningitis, the following symptoms are typical: high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, photophobia (sensitivity to light), skin rashes and seizures. Quick treatment is paramount to prevent serious complications and death.

Permanent deafness, neurological problems and hydrocephalus are all sequelae.

Chronic meningitis is a frequent problem in those people that are immunocompromised. Unlike acute bacterial meningitis, the chronic form may persist for long periods of time and are frequently the result of a slower growing organism like a fungus. Cryptococcus neoformans is a common cause of chronic meningitis.

Aseptic meningitis is associated with viral infections and is usually self-limiting. Some symptoms are like those in bacterial meningitis. Enteroviruses are by far the most common cause of aseptic meningitis.

Meningitis is diagnosed by staining and culturing CSF for the offending bacteria. In addition, chemical determination of glucose and protein concentration is useful indicators. The CSF is collected by means of a spinal tap.

Can meningitis be prevented? Some of the organisms that cause meningitis are spread via respiratory means. If you have close contact with someone with the disease, your risk is increased.

Handwashing is the key to preventing just about every contagious disease. Avoid certain types of foods if you are pregnant or immunocompromised because of the risk of Listeria.

Besides the previously mentioned vaccination for Haemophilus influenza type B, there is also a vaccine for pneumococcal meningitis as part of the immunization schedule for children less than two.

For adults older than 65, there is a pneumococcal vaccine that is recommended by the CDC.

For children ages 11-18, there is a vaccine for meningococcal meningitis. For your child to live in a college dormitory it is mandatory.

I have over 20 years experience in clinical and public health microbiology and infectious diseases. I want to enlighten and inform about infectious diseases that could affect you, rare and common, and what you can do to protect you and your family from these dreaded afflictions. See more of my work at http://www.examiner.com/x-7707-Tampa-Disease-Prevention-Examiner