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.