One of the worst diseases that anyone can get is spinal meningitis. Any of the types of meningitis are quite terrible, because they involve the infection of the membranes or meninges and fluid that protect the brain and the spine. Spinal meningitis can be caused by a virus or by a bacterial infection. In some cases, meningitis will go away in a few weeks, but in some cases, it can lead to death.
Neck Pain
One of the first signs of meningitis is a pain in the neck. The accompanying symptoms include a fever and headache. If you or someone you love has these symptoms, it is wise to visit the emergency room immediately because early treatment could help prevent sudden death that can occur from meningitis.
Meningitis symptoms tend to develop quite rapidly and the symptoms tend to be worse in people who are over the age of two. Besides the head ache, fever, and sore neck, other symptoms include vomiting, inability to hold eye-contact, and seizures. Some people may have a skin rash and they may have difficulty waking up from sleep. You might have a sensitivity to light, because the issues with concentration and eye contact and you might also see people who have a loss of appetite.
If babies under the age of two develop meningitis, they have some similar symptoms, but one of the most common is a bulging fontanel (the soft spot on the top of the head). They will have stiffness in their entire body, not just in the neck. They will also cry constantly and can also be quite sluggish. These symptoms also require immediate care. You will notice that babies with meningitis will not be easy to sooth and will cry incessantly.
Brain Damage or Death
If you or your loved one is diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, the disease can cause death or permanent brain damage. This is why it is so important to visit the emergency room as soon as the symptoms appear. Bacterial meningitis can develop rapidly with people dying in a few hours or days after developing the illness.
Viral meningitis is not as damaging to the body and people usually recover over a few days, but since the symptoms of both types are exactly the same, there is no way to know which type you might have.
How Meningitis Spreads
Meningitis develops from bacteria or a virus entering the blood stream. It can also develop from an ear infection or a sinus infection. People who are in close quarters with each other can often spread the disease; this is why it is so common to see meningitis outbreaks in schools and college campuses.
Some of the risk factors include age. The most common age for people to develop meningitis are between birth and age 25. There are vaccines now for young people to take to help them avoid getting the horrible disease. Those who are pregnant also have a chance of developing meningitis because they are more susceptible to developing listeria, which is the bacteria that can lead to meningitis. Also people who work with animals are at a higher risk because of the bacteria present.