Meningitis

Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges. Meninges is the protective layer of tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is caused due to infection of this tissue-layer by bacteria. It can also happen due to infection by virus.

Meningitis is fatal. This is more so because it is a condition that is located on the most critical and important parts of the body: the brain and spinal cord.

You need to arrange for or impart immediate medical supervision to a person who has been affected with meningitis.

How to find out if a person has meningitis?
The following are the general symptoms of meningitis

-         A person with this condition will have high fever, as it is basically the body’s reaction to a foreign invasion into the body.

-         The person will most often that not experience a tremendous rigidity around the neck section.

-         Meningitis causes the person to experience severe headaches

-         There will also be some kind of disorder related to consciousness. In other words, the person will experience mild to sever unconsciousness.

-         This will inevitably cause the person to show seesaw behavior that includes drowsiness, weariness, and lack of cognition or awareness.

How is meningitis diagnosed?
The following are some of the methods that doctors use to diagnose meningitis…

-         The doctor will first examine the symptoms before coming to an inference

-         A common method to diagnose the type of bacteria that has caused the meningitis is to before lumbar punctures. Lumbar punctures are like small clinical dabs to the spinal cord. The intention is to capture the bacteria or virus with the dabs, and take them to the laboratory for examination, and the final determination of the culprit of the meningitis.

-         So once this has been determined appropriate antibiotics are administered.

How can meningitis prevented?
Here are some general tips for prevention of meningitis…

-         Meningitis is a contagious disease, or in other words that which spreads with contact.

-         It is present in the saliva of a person. It could spread if you share a cigarette that the other person has used. It can also spread when you are in the vicinity of an infected person, who has coughed or sneezed. It can spread through used towels, and crockery of the infected person. So try to maintain optimum hygiene at all times. Always keep your hands clean. Wash them regularly with a disinfectant soap solution.