What is Meningitis, What Are Its Symptoms, What Causes It, and How Can It Be Prevented?

Meningitis is a serious infection that can affect individuals of almost any age, particularly seen in infants, young children, teenagers, and young adults. If not treated quickly, it can lead to life-threatening blood poisoning and cause permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

Meningitis is a serious infection that can affect individuals of almost any age, particularly seen in infants, young children, teenagers, and young adults. If not treated quickly, it can lead to life-threatening blood poisoning and cause permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

What is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord. It occurs when the fluid surrounding the meninges becomes infected. It can be caused by parasites, viruses, fungi, or bacteria. The most common cause of meningitis in young children and adults is pneumococci. Pneumococcal meningitis, which can be prevented by vaccination, is often associated with middle ear infections, pneumonia, and sinusitis. Another type of meningitis seen in both children and adults is caused by meningococcal infections. This type of bacteria, which can cause outbreaks in places like military barracks, student dormitories, and schools, infects the upper respiratory tract and can lead to infection reaching the brain. Listeria, another type of bacteria, is usually transmitted to humans through unpasteurized food. It targets pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems, potentially causing meningitis. Bacterial and viral meningitis are more common than parasitic and fungal meningitis. While viral meningitis is generally milder, bacterial meningitis can pose a risk of death in both adults and children.

What Are the Symptoms of Meningitis?

The symptoms of viral and bacterial meningitis are almost identical at the onset of the disease. However, the symptoms of bacterial meningitis are usually more severe. The symptoms can also vary depending on the age of the individual.

Viral Meningitis Symptoms in Infants
Some of the symptoms of viral meningitis in infants include:

• Loss of appetite
• Slowed movements
• Irritability and restlessness
• Lethargy, or life-paralyzing sleepiness
• Swelling at the fontanel (the soft spot on the skull)
• Constant crying
• Stiffness in the body and neck
• Fever

Viral Meningitis Symptoms in Adults
Some of the symptoms of viral meningitis in adults include:

• Headache
• Fever
• Drowsiness
• Sensitivity to light
• Decreased appetite
• Mental confusion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stiffness and pain in the neck
• Seizures

Bacterial Meningitis Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of bacterial meningitis include:

• Mental confusion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Stiffness and pain in the neck
• Irritability
• Sensitivity to light
• Fever and chills
• Skin bruising
• Drowsiness

What Causes Meningitis?

The causes of meningitis vary depending on the type of the disease. The types of meningitis are as follows:

Bacterial Meningitis
Bacterial meningitis is the most severe type of meningitis. If not treated promptly, it can lead to brain damage and pose a life-threatening risk. The most common bacteria that cause meningitis include Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus), and Listeria monocytogenes (which affects the elderly, pregnant women, or individuals with immune system problems). These bacteria can enter the bloodstream through the sinuses, ears, and throat and infect the brain's protective fluid. The infection can spread to others through coughing or sneezing when the infected person emits droplets into the air.

Fungal Meningitis
Fungal meningitis is much rarer than bacterial or viral meningitis and is seldom seen in healthy individuals. It is more common in people with immune system issues, such as those with AIDS or cancer. Some of the main fungi that cause fungal meningitis include Cryptococcus, Blastomyces, Histoplasma, and Coccidioides, which are typically inhaled from contaminated bird droppings, soil, or dust.

Viral Meningitis
Viral meningitis is one of the most common types of meningitis, especially observed in the summer and autumn months. Infections caused by Coxsackie virus A, Coxsackie virus B, and Echovirus can develop into meningitis. Additionally, viruses like the flu, mumps, measles, herpes, HIV, and coltivirus can also cause meningitis.

Parasitic Meningitis
Parasitic meningitis, which does not spread easily, is less common than viral and bacterial meningitis. It typically arises from exposure to parasites in snails, raw fish, poultry, or contaminated food, such as dirt and feces. This type is called eosinophilic meningitis (EM). Three parasites that cause parasitic meningitis are Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Baylisascaris procyonis, and Gnathostoma spinigerum. Another type of parasitic meningitis, known as amoebic meningitis, occurs when a parasite enters the body through the nose and travels to the brain, causing severe damage to brain tissue. It can lead to hallucinations and seizures.

How Can Meningitis Be Prevented?

Some types of meningitis are contagious, and the best preventive measure to avoid the disease is personal hygiene. The viruses and bacteria that cause meningitis can spread from person to person through coughing, sneezing, kissing, hugging, or using someone else's toothbrush or eating utensils. To prevent meningitis, you may need to take the following precautions:

• Wash your hands frequently according to hygiene standards, and make sure to dry them properly after washing. Ensure that all family members, especially children, wash their hands before and after meals and after using the toilet.
• Make sure that each family member has their own towel or use disposable towels.
• Avoid sharing personal items like toothbrushes, makeup products, towels, plates, forks, and spoons. Similarly, avoid eating from the same plate or drinking from the same glass as others.
• Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Follow a healthy and balanced diet, engage in regular exercise, and ensure that you get enough sleep with good sleep quality.
• Cook your food thoroughly and avoid raw food or unpasteurized products.
• To protect against the bacteria and viruses that can cause bacterial or viral meningitis, get vaccines for diseases like flu and pneumonia. Ensure that your children receive the meningococcal vaccine.

How is Meningitis Diagnosed?

People experiencing symptoms of meningitis should visit a healthcare facility for a doctor's examination. Symptoms alone are not sufficient to diagnose meningitis. The patient is first examined by the doctor. During the examination, the doctor checks for neck stiffness and whether there are any skin rashes that indicate a bacterial infection. Blood tests are also conducted to check for the presence of bacteria that may cause meningitis. CT and MRI scans may be used to check for swelling and inflammation in the brain. A sample of cerebrospinal fluid can be taken to confirm the diagnosis of meningitis. Using a fine needle, cerebrospinal fluid is extracted from the lower back, and the analysis of this fluid will determine the diagnosis of the disease.

Meningitis Treatment

The most effective method to prevent the bacteria causing meningitis from developing an infection in the body is vaccination. Babies who have not been vaccinated put themselves and others at risk. Delaying treatment for meningitis can lead to serious complications in both adults and children, such as seizures, brain damage, hearing loss, memory problems, learning difficulties, difficulty walking, kidney failure, shock, and even death. Treatment for meningitis depends on the type of the disease. In bacterial meningitis, the doctor may start a broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment before identifying the specific bacteria causing the disease. Once the bacteria is identified, a targeted antibiotic treatment can be administered. In some cases, corticosteroids may also be given to reduce the symptoms of the disease. Viral meningitis, on the other hand, often resolves on its own without specific treatment. Treatment is usually recommended based on the symptoms of the disease, such as pain and fever. Pain relievers or fever-reducing medications and rest may be recommended by the doctor. If a virus such as herpes or the flu is the cause of the meningitis, antiviral medications may be prescribed by the doctor.