Meningitis

Meningitis, also known as spinal meningitis, is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection of the spinal fluid.

The infection that causes meningitis usually starts in the ears, sinuses or throat, before it spreads through the blood stream into the spinal fluid and then to the lining of the brain (or meninges). The disease has been known to cause many severe injuries such as shock, brain damage deafness and even death.

Two thirds of meningitis cases involve children. Because of their young immune systems, babies up to two-years-old are stricken the most. Bacterial meningitis is a very rare, but potentially fatal infection and inflammation of the tissue layers surrounding the brain and cerebrospinal fluid.

The most common type of bacterial meningitis in North America is pneumococcal meningitis. Children under the age of two and the elderly are most susceptible to this type of the disease, however, people of all ages are at risk. If the condition isn't treated quickly enough it can lead to death within hours. Thirty percent of those afflicted suffer permanent brain damage.

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by various types of bacteria, including Group B strep, hemophilus influenzae type b, meningococcus and pneumococcus. These 4 types of bacteria are responsible for over 80-percent of bacterial meningitis cases in the U.S.

Viral meningitis, also called aseptic meningitis, is the more common form of the disease. People who contract viral meningitis are much less likely to suffer from permanent brain damage. Cases of viral meningitis are relatively mild and they often clear up on their own in a week or two without any specific medical treatment.

Meningitis is one of the leading causes of deafness in children, and a primary reason why youngsters receive cochlear implants. Children who have received cochlear implants may be more vulnerable to further bouts of meningitis than the general population.

Meningitis is sometimes a slowly progressing disease and at other times it can strike in a matter of hours. Fever can be a symptom of the disease, but meningitis can also be present without a fever. Other symptoms include drowsiness, confusion, headaches and vomiting. Meningitis can also cause seizures, irritability, and a poor appetite. Sometimes, in young babies, the soft spot on the top of their head may suddenly harden and bulge out.

If your doctor suspects you may have meningitis, a spinal tap will be performed to test the spinal fluid for any infection. Bacterial meningitis is treated with strong antibiotics. If it isn't treated quickly enough, hearing loss, mental retardation, paralysis, and seizures may result.