Dorothy FarrarMeningitis
Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges. Often, meningitis is caused by bacteria or viruses. Viral meningitis is often accompanied by inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). If meningitis is suspected, a doctor must be consulted immediately.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria or viruses (rarely fungi). Since it is an inflammation of the meninges meninges, doctors also speak of meningitis.
Especially people with a weak immune system and children are particularly at risk of contracting the life-threatening meningitis. Therefore, scientists strongly recommend immunization (vaccination) against certain pathogens that can cause meningitis in early infancy.
Causes
Bacterial meningitisIn most cases, bacterial meningitis is caused by meningococci or pneumococci. To date, scientists have not been able to clearly explain how an infection can occur in otherwise physically healthy people.
Viral inflammation of the brain
Viral meningitis is often accompanied by other viral diseases. In most cases, viral meningitis is caused by the causative agent of herpes simplex infection or the causative agent of spring-summer meningoencephalitis (tick bite).
Occasionally, meningitis occurs due to infection with protozoa (e.g. toxoplasmosis) or fungi (e.g. cryptococcosis). As a rule, the respective pathogen enters the human body via the bloodstream and there into the central nervous system (CNS).
When to see a doctor?
Meningitis is a life-threatening disease that must be treated immediately. It is therefore important to call in the ambulance service at the first signs of meningitis or to visit the nearest hospital directly. A typical warning sign is neck stiffness. If the patient can no longer move the head without pain, this indicates an incipient meningitis, which must be treated by a doctor. In the further course, high fever, movement disorders, vomiting and sensitivity to light are added.
Anyone who notices one or more of these symptoms in themselves or others must immediately call a doctor. The physician can clearly determine the meningitis and will immediately refer the affected person to a hospital. Following the initial treatment, regular follow-up visits to the family doctor are indicated in order to rule out permanent damage or renewed spread of the pathogen. Due to the severe illness, meningitis should be treated as a precaution. A simple vaccination is sufficient to rule out an infection and thus a possibly severe course.
Symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of meningitis:
The doctor can recognize meningitis by the occurrence of typical symptoms. Patients suffer from headaches associated with hypersensitivity to noise and light and severe vomiting.
A painful stiff neck is also characteristic, which occurs above all when the infected person bends their head forward. Hyperextension of the head and extremities can also often be observed (opisthotonus).
Meningitis caused by meningococci has a dramatic course of the disease in the most common cases. The symptoms of the disease appear quickly – an initially harmless infection grows into a dramatic clinical picture within a few hours. It is accompanied by a high fever.
Meningitis caused by other bacteria can show a rather insidious course and are only recognized and treated at a correspondingly late stage. A typical example of this is Lyme disease . Bacterial meningitis usually has a very severe course and ends fatally in many cases.
Meningitis due to a viral infection is less dramatic. Healing is very likely, permanent damage to the brain is not to be expected. An important exception, however, is meningitis, which can be traced back to the herpes simplex pathogen – here the course and outcome of the infection is similar to that of bacterial meningitis.
Diagnosis
Meningitis is diagnosed with the CSF examination. This examination is used to identify the pathogen and then determine which drug is given to the patient. If the pathogen cannot be determined, the composition of the inflamed cells can at least be used to determine whether bacterial or viral meningitis is present. Even if the pathogen has not been identified, life-saving treatment can still be started.
Complications
Meningitis can lead to a number of serious complications and, if left untreated, can be fatal. Severe complications must be expected, especially in the early stages of the disease. Especially in children, meningitis can cause large amounts of cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate in the brain, leading to an increase in intracranial pressure. Brain dropsy (hydrocephalus) may require surgical intervention. Surgical intervention may also be necessary if there is a collection of pus under the dura mater.
If the cranial nerves are damaged by meningitis, impairment of vision and hearing can be expected. In addition, the head often only has limited mobility and the patient also suffers from swallowing difficulties. If the ear is affected, there is a risk of permanent hearing impairment due to calcification of the cochlea
If the cerebral blood flow is impaired as part of meningitis, patients can be confronted with a number of complications. This can lead to impairment of speech and memory as well as symptoms of Paralysis and even a Stroke . Epileptic seizures are also repeatedly observed during the early stages of meningitis. If a brain abscess forms, the focus of infection, including the capsule, must be surgically removed. About a fifth of those affected do not survive this procedure or die shortly afterwards.
treatment and therapy
If bacterial meningitis is present, it is treated with a high-dose antibiotic administered intravenously. Antiviral drugs, such as Zovirax, are given for viral meningitis.
The chances of recovery depend on various factors. The type of pathogen, the general physique of the patient and the point in time at which treatment is started are decisive. A particularly unfavorable prognosis – the mortality rate is over 50% – has patients suffering from a meningococcal infection, which is only recognized late.
Meningococcal sepsis often occurs in connection with this form of meningitis. This is sepsis ( blood poisoning ) caused by the meningococci , which leads to a coagulation disorder.It is not uncommon for the coagulation disorder to lead to severe bleeding of the internal organs – the patient bleeds to death internally.
Newborns and small children in particular have poor prognosis. Meningitis often leads to permanent damage, such as impaired vision or hearing or a lack of concentration.
All patients must – if the course of the disease is difficult – be cared for in intensive care. It is not uncommon for patients to have to be isolated due to the high risk of infection.
Visitors to the patient should consult a doctor beforehand and seek advice on whether prophylactic medication is appropriate. Wearing a face mask, gloves and overalls is obligatory to protect the patient and the visitor.
Prevention
If signs of meningitis appear, a doctor must be consulted immediately or an ambulance called. Vaccines (meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccination) have been developed to prevent specific meningitis pathogens and are recommended especially in early childhood.
Especially people in the distribution area of FMSE-transmitting ticks ( tick bite ) are urgently advised to be immunized.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.