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    Sign and Symptoms of Meningitis

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    Ivan Villapando
    Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. Common symptoms include headache, fever, and neck stiffness. While most cases in the US are viral, bacteria, parasites, and fungi can also cause meningitis. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, headache, and feeling unwell in adults and high fever, constant crying, irritability, and sluggishness in infants. Early treatment of bacterial meningitis is important to prevent serious complications.

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    Sign and Symptoms of Meningitis

    Uploaded by

    Ivan Villapando
    29 views4 pages
    Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. Common symptoms include headache, fever, and neck stiffness. While most cases in the US are viral, bacteria, parasites, and fungi can also cause meningitis. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, headache, and feeling unwell in adults and high fever, constant crying, irritability, and sluggishness in infants. Early treatment of bacterial meningitis is important to prevent serious complications.

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    SIGN AND SYMPTOMS OF MENINGITIS

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    Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. Common symptoms include headache, fever, and neck stiffness. While most cases in the US are viral, bacteria, parasites, and fungi can also cause meningitis. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, headache, and feeling unwell in adults and high fever, constant crying, irritability, and sluggishness in infants. Early treatment of bacterial meningitis is important to prevent serious complications.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    29 views4 pages

    Sign and Symptoms of Meningitis

    Uploaded by

    Ivan Villapando
    Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. Common symptoms include headache, fever, and neck stiffness. While most cases in the US are viral, bacteria, parasites, and fungi can also cause meningitis. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, headache, and feeling unwell in adults and high fever, constant crying, irritability, and sluggishness in infants. Early treatment of bacterial meningitis is important to prevent serious complications.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 4

    Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the fluid and membranes surrounding the

    brain and spinal cord. These membranes are called meninges.

    The inflammation from meningitis typically triggers symptoms such as headache, fever
    and a stiff neck.

    Most cases of meningitis in the United States are caused by a viral infection. But
    bacteria, parasites and fungi also can cause it. Some cases of meningitis improve
    without treatment in a few weeks. Others can cause death and require emergency
    antibiotic treatment.

    Seek immediate medical care if you suspect that you or someone in your family has
    meningitis. Early treatment of bacterial meningitis can prevent serious complications.

    Early meningitis symptoms may be similar to the flu. Symptoms may develop over
    several hours or over a few days.

    so how do meningitis symptoms start?


    The first symptoms are usually fever, vomiting, headache and feeling unwell. Limb
    pain, pale skin, and cold hands and feet often appear earlier than the rash, neck
    stiffness, dislike of bright lights and confusion.

    Possible symptoms in anyone older than the age of 2 years include:

     Sudden high fever.

     Stiff neck.

     Severe headache.

     Nausea or vomiting.

     Confusion or trouble concentrating.

     Seizures.

     Sleepiness or trouble waking.

     Sensitivity to light.
     No appetite or thirst.

     Skin rash in some cases, such as in meningococcal meningitis.

    Signs in newborns

    Newborns and infants may show these signs:

     High fever.

     Constant crying.

     Being very sleepy or irritable.

     Trouble waking from sleep.

     Being inactive or sluggish.

     Not waking to eat.

     Poor feeding.

     Vomiting.

     A bulge in the soft spot on top of the baby's head.

     Stiffness in the body and neck.

     Bulging “soft spot” (fontanelle) on baby’s head.

     Poor eating.

     Sleepiness or trouble waking up from sleep.

     Low energy or slower responses (lethargy)


    Symptoms of meningitis can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all.
    In the early stages, there may not be a rash, or the rash may fade when pressure
    is applied.

    You should get medical help immediately if you're concerned about yourself or your
    child.

    Trust your instincts and do not wait for all the symptoms to appear or until a rash
    develops.

    Symptoms of meningitis and sepsis include:

     a high temperature
     cold hands and feet
     vomiting
     confusion
     breathing quickly
     muscle and joint pain
     pale, mottled or blotchy skin (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin)
     spots or a rash (this may be harder to see on brown or black skin)
     headache
     a stiff neck
     a dislike of bright lights
     being very sleepy or difficult to wake
     fits (seizures)

    Babies may also:

     refuse feeds
     be irritable
     have a high-pitched cry
     have a stiff body or be floppy or unresponsive
     have a bulging soft spot on the top of their head
    Someone with meningitis or sepsis can get a lot worse very quickly.

    When to see a doctor

    Seek immediate medical care if you or someone in your family has meningitis
    symptoms, such as:

     Fever.

     Severe headache that doesn't go away.

     Confusion.

     Vomiting.

     Stiff neck.

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