Meningitis can be a very serious disease that will start out with flu like symptoms. Although it is more common in young children and people over the age of 60 anyone can get it and it can be easily spread through close contact or coming into contact with items such as towels or utensils that a person who has meningitis has used. So what exactly is meningitis and what are the signs and symptoms? Meningitis occurs when the membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord become inflamed, which can be deadly and have serious lifetime side effects. There are two types of meningitis Viral, the more common and less serious one that is often mistaken for the flu, and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis is rare, occurs generally in winter months and can lead to death if not treated right away. There are many signs an symptoms that warn you that you may have meningitis that include sudden high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, sensitivity to bright lights, joint pain, rash. Newly identified symptoms that appear before the classic 13-22 hours include cold hands and feet while you have a fever, and blue color or tint around the lips, abnormally pale skin, and leg pain. Many of these warning signs come on within hours and not all of them need to be present as an indication that a person is affected by meningitis. Of the different signs to look out for two of the most important is a rash and sudden high fever. A skin rash, reddish or purplish spots, is a clear warning sign that a person has meningitis. If the rash is pressed down on, it will not turn white. This can be a sign of blood poisoning or sepsis which can lead to organ dysfunction and death if not properly treated. One of the newly discovered signs of meningitis was discovered by British researchers and can be identified as early as eight hours after infection. Abnormally pale skin with a bluish tint around the lips and mouth is said to have been noticed in cases of patients with meningitis. Once medical tests are performed and treatment is underway you will be on your way to recover. The important thing to remember is that a person with meningitis needs to immediate treatment if they show the warning signs.

Meningitis is a potentially serious disease which causes inflammation of the meninges, the lining which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. There are two distinct forms of meningitis: bacterial and viral. The warning signs are similar for both of these forms, but the bacterial form is much more serious and if left untreated can be fatal.

Luckily, bacterial meningitis is much rarer than viral meningitis. The early signs of bacterial meningitis are similar to, and are often confused with, the flu: severe headache, sleepiness, stiffness in the neck, pain in joints, an aversion to bright lights, running a high temperature or having a fever, dizziness, vomiting. Bacterial meningitis is sometimes accompanied by septicemia (a blood infection caused by the same bacteria responsible for the meningitis). In this case, the patient will likely develop a rash, which will start out as small red spots and grow as the infection proceeds. The way to check if a rash may be a symptom of blood infection related to meningitis is to press a narrow glass against the rash. If the rash does not disappear while the glass is pressed against it, then it could be an infection and you should seek medical attention.

The early signs of viral meningitis are similar to the early signs of bacterial meningitis and are also often confused with the flu: headache, pain in joints, sore throat, running a high temperature, diarrhea. If you believe that you have meningitis, it is important to see a doctor in order to distinguish the milder viral form from the potentially fatal bacterial form. Not all of the symptoms of meningitis may appear at once, but if more two or more of the warning signs appear at one time, then you should seek immediate medical attention for yourself or your child. If your doctor cannot be contacted, then go to the emergency room.

The term meningitis does not actually refer to a specific disease but rather refers to the inflammation of the meninges tissues. There are 9 different types of meningitis inflammation. Meningitis symptoms are serious. Aseptic meningitis is not caused by bacterial infection. Some kind of virus, mumps would be an example, are the usual cause of this type of meningitis. There are other causes though, like specific diseases and some medications can cause this to happen to a person as well.

Bacterial meningitis is caused by a bacterial infection. One problem with this type of meningitis is that it often leads to vomiting which can lead to dehydration. Be sure to look out for that. Cryptococcal meningitis is actually caused by an infection from a specific kind of yeast is called Cryptococcus and is found in bird feces and dirt. It is rare that this type of meningitis really causes a problem but it is possible if it has the right conditions to grow. The most common reason it will be a problem is when it is associated with a person with AIDS. Infectious meningitis is actually basically just a general term for meningitis. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses or protozoa. The majority of people are not susceptible to these infectious agents but some are. The most likely to develop a problem are infants, people who have had transplants, people with AIDS and people with other issues that compromise their immune systems. Meningococcal meningitis is a very dangerous and deadly form of meningitis. Part of the reason it is so dangerous is that it progresses very quickly and is incredibly contagious by any form of physical contact. It is a bacterial form of meningitis. Neoplastic meningitis is a result of tumors on the brain or spinal cord inflaming the meninges. Viral meningitis is caused by any number of virus’. It is highly contagious and occurs often in children, especially in tandem with the chicken box. Tuberculous meningitis is caused by tuberculosis. It is very dangerous and can cause brain damage if it is not properly diagnosed and treated. Syphilitic meningitis is caused by the same bacteria that causes syphilis.

There are numerous meningitis symptoms that you can be aware of and look out for. The bacterial meningitis symptoms usually appear very suddenly while symptoms of viral meningitis can either appear very suddenly or develop gradually over a number of day.

There are some symptoms that are common in both kinds of meningitis. These can include fever, a severe and typically persistent headache. A stiff and painful neck can be a symptom especially when moving your head down. If you try to touch your chin to your chest and experience stiffness or pain this can be a symptom. Vomiting, confusion and decreased levels of consciousness can also be symptoms.

If you experience seizures and have no previously had a history of epilepsy or seizures this can be a symptom of either type of meningitis, especially when paired with the other symptoms listed above. Other symptoms can develop but are more rare. These can include eye sensitivity. This usually includes being overly sensitive to light. If you develop a skin rash or unexplained dizziness these are possible meningitis symptoms as well. Sluggishness, weak muscles or aching muscles might be a sign. If you experience strange sensations such as tingling in your body it might just be meningitis.

Babies can have very different meningitis symptoms. They can include irritability that is impossible to calm, loss of appetite, fever, rash, vomiting and a particularly shrill cry. Another sign in babies can be bulging soft spots that do not seem to be caused by something else. If their body is stuff or they cry when touched these might be signs of meningitis. If you have a young child and they seem to have a flu it might actually be symptoms of meningitis. Especially if the flu like symptoms are paired with a cough and they appear to be or complain of having trouble breathing. It can be even harder to tell in older people or people who already have other medical conditions. They might have very few symptoms that they would not associate with having meningitis. Some examples would be having a slight headache or a fever. They might just generally not feel well and have very little energy.