Health Library: Meningitis

(MCT) - Meningitis can be a serious infection, and it can be contagious - which is why outbreaks make the news. However, it's also pretty rare, and it can be treated.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis means inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord called the meninges. It often occurs when an infection elsewhere in the body spreads through the blood and into the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that circulates in the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord). People can get meningitis at any age.

Most cases of meningitis are caused by viruses (viral meningitis) or bacteria (bacterial meningitis), but fungi and other organisms can also cause infectious meningitis. Some cases of meningitis result from head injuries, certain cancers or other diseases as well as reactions to medications.

Viral meningitis is caused by enteroviruses, which are very common in summer and early fall. These viruses can spread through contact with saliva, mucus or feces. People can spread the virus when they touch surfaces others will touch or when they sneeze without covering their mouths. Enteroviruses begin to multiply in the digestive tract and can spread through the body to cause meningitis.

Bacterial meningitis is a more severe form of the infection. If it isn't treated promptly, it can cause brain damage and, in some circumstances, even death. The most common bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. People can spread them through throat and respiratory secretions - for example, by coughing.

After a person is started on antibiotic treatment for meningitis, the infection can still be spread to others for at least 24 hours.

One form of bacterial meningitis is related to Lyme disease. Lyme meningitis is generally less severe than other forms of bacterial meningitis and is not fatal.



Signs and symptoms

Some symptoms of both viral and bacterial meningitis are:

-Fever

-Stiff neck

-Severe headache

-Sensitivity to light

-Vomiting

-Nausea

-Extreme sleepiness

-Confusion

-Seizure

If you or someone you know has these symptoms - especially if you've been around someone with meningitis - be sure to talk to a doctor. Treating the infection early is very important.



Prevention

Washing your hands well and often is your best defense against meningitis and other infections.

The chance of getting bacterial meningitis is low. It's most likely to happen in confined settings like classrooms and college dorms, which is why some colleges ask their students to get vaccinated against meningitis. However, vaccines don't exist for all types of bacterial meningitis.



When to call the doctor

If you have meningitis symptoms, call your doctor immediately. Early detection and treatment is very important to avoid serious health problems.

If you've been in close contact with someone who has bacterial meningitis, see your doctor, even if you have no symptoms. The doctor might prescribe antibiotics to help prevent you from getting the infection. A fast diagnosis can also keep the infection from spreading to others.



Treatment

To diagnose meningitis, a doctor may do a spinal tap, in which a small amount of the cerebrospinal fluid is removed and tested in a lab. If the meningitis is bacterial, this can help the doctor decide which type of antibiotic to prescribe.

To find out more about the infection, sometimes the doctor will also do a brain scan (CT scan).

Bacterial meningitis is treated in the hospital with intravenous antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment for bacterial meningitis may last for a couple of weeks, although a person may not need to spend the full time in hospital.

Doctors may also prescribe corticosteroids to protect a person from hearing damage as a result of bacterial meningitis. If there are problems caused by the infection, the doctor will need to treat those problems, too.

Sometimes people can have permanent brain damage from the disease - especially if it is not diagnosed and treated quickly - so if you have symptoms, it's important to get checked out and treated right away.

If the meningitis is viral, it usually goes away on its own (antibiotics are not effective in treating this type of meningitis because it's not caused by bacteria). The doctor will recommend as much rest as possible to help the recovery. He or she may also recommend medication to help relieve any headaches or body aches.



Health information provided by MyStudentHealthZone.com and the health experts of Nemours. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.