Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord, usually due to infection. The onset of symptoms depends on the organism that is causing the infection.
When someone is infected with bacterial meningitis, symptoms usually come on quickly and worsen within a couple hours, often leading to severe damage or death. The more common and treatable viral meningitis progresses a bit more slowly, typically growing worse over a few days. Determining which form of meningitis a person has is impossible without spinal fluid testing (aka spinal tap), so don't try to diagnosis symptoms yourself.
While there's no need to see a doctor at the first sign of a headache or fever, you should see a doctor immediately if you or anyone in your family experiences the following symptoms that seem to worsen rapidly.
In children and adults over the age of 2, the first signs of both viral and bacterial meningitis are common but intense ailments including the following:
Detecting meningitis in babies can be more difficult, but here are a few signs:
As always, this article is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness or disease mentioned.
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