Meningitis
Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meinges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis can develop for many reasons including: bacteria, viruses, physical injury, cancer, and in some rare cases, drugs. It is important to know what caused meningitis for each person because how you contracted the disease affects the severity of the disease. There are two types of the disease, viral meningitis is fairly common and does not cause serious illness, however, bacterial meningitis is not as common, but if not treated immediately, can cause brain damage and death. The disease is easy to identify as symptoms come in seven hours to two days and include: sudden high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, seizures, sensitivity to light, and confusion. If it is not recognized and treated properly, it could potentially lead to: hearing loss, memory difficulty, learning disabilities, brain damage, walking problems, and even death.
In order to find out if you have meningitis or not, you must have a lumbar puncture done. A lumbar puncture is when a long thin needle is inserted into the spinal canal. It is used to collect samples of spinal fluid to check for bacteria and viruses. Depending on the type of meningitis contracted, there are different methods of treatment. For viral meningitis, you will only have to drink more liquids and take medicine for pain and fever. For bacterial meningitis, the use of medicines, as well oxygen therapy. We can prevent ourselves from contracting meningitis by getting vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox. We get these shots to prevent germs from causing some of the diseases that lead to meningitis.
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