Bacterial Meningitis Symptoms

Meningitis is an infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord). There might be a quick and sudden onset of meningitis making it an acute one and the disease may also be chronic by nature by prolonging itself for about a month or more. In some cases, it can also be mild or aseptic (free of or using methods to keep free of pathological microorganisms).

Coming to bacterial meningitis, it is a severe form of the disease which is more critical than when it is caused due to a virus. Bacterial meningitis is known to be the most common form of the disease and it raises high concerns for the affected person's well-being. The infection may result in the swelling of the tissues around the brain, which may trigger the risk of paralysis or stroke. As this infection is a life-threatening one, knowing about its major symptoms be a life saver.

What Indicates Bacterial Meningitis?
The incubation period (the period between infection and the appearance of symptoms of the disease) of this infection ranges between 2-3 days. At times, the symptoms may show up within a few hours or so. The symptoms of bacterial meningitis include fever and headaches; which are common with most other illnesses too. However, one prominent symptom which you should watch out for is the gradually increasing stiffness in your neck. The stiffness can be so severe that it may keep you from lowering your chin to your chest. Other symptoms may include confusion, progressing drowsiness, irritability, seizures and at times, even stroke.

Inactivity, irritability, vomiting and poor feeding are usually noticed in children with bacterial meningitis. Other symptoms may include fever and neck stiffness or headaches. These symptoms could be difficult to identify in infants, so other symptoms to look out for are chills, sweating, sensitivity to light, vomiting and lethargy.

Treatment
Administration of antibiotics is the first line of treatment for bacterial meningitis. This is usually done by an intravenous (IV) procedure. Corticosteroid may be prescribed in order to bring down the swelling or inflammation. Certain medications will be prescribed in order to reduce the fever and measures will be taken up to keep the surrounding quiet and calm to prevent the onset of seizures. People who are showing symptoms of trouble breathing may be helped with oxygen therapy. As infections increase the body's needs of fluids and create risks of dehydration, patients will be asked to increase the intake of liquid foods. For those who are not able to drink enough, fluids can be given through an IV line. The fluids intake of the patients will be kept under close observation as, too much or too less intake may aggravate the symptoms of bacterial meningitis and the disease itself. Blood tests also form a common part of the treatment. This is done in order to monitor the level of essential chemicals in the body, such as sodium and sugar in the blood.

Following a few preventive steps such as avoiding sharing personal items (those which can risk the sharing of saliva between people) can keep a check on the further spread of the illness. Going for meningitis vaccine is another effective way in preventing the onset of the disease in the first place.