How do meningitis get infected? Myths and Reality

How do meningitis get infected, how does the treatment work? What is this disease, what are the consequences and prevention measures? We'll talk about this in this article.

What is meningitis?

Inflammation of the meninges is called the general term - meningitis. Meningitis causes both viruses and bacteria. Characteristically, viral meningitis is more common and more common, but has a lighter course, unlike bacterial meningitis. Often in the disease, viral meningitis is responsible for enteroviruses, herpesvirus and mumps virus.

How do people get vaginal meningitis ? Virtually always airborne or oral-fecal route, that is, in contact with a sick person. It can be hugs and kisses, talking or being in the same room with him. However, it should be understood that you will not become infected with meningitis, as such, viral. The very same disease may not occur.

How do meningitis get infected? Who can pose a danger to a healthy person? Dangerous to others not only people with meningitis, but also so-called carriers, that is, people who do not themselves get sick, but have a potentially dangerous virus or bacterium.

What causes meningitis of bacterial origin? Here everything is simple. Inflammation of the membranes of the brain is caused by various bacteria, most often hemophilic rod and cocci. Bacterial meningitis is a dangerous and extremely serious disease. At the first signs it is necessary to deliver the sick person to the hospital without delay. Delay even for a few hours can cost the patient life.

Diagnostics

Infectious meningitis in children can develop rapidly and be accompanied by such a grave condition as meningococcal sepsis - septicemia.

Symptoms of meningitis are:

• Strong, sometimes intolerable headache;
• Depression of consciousness;
• photophobia;
• Increase in body temperature to maximum marks;
• Indomitable vomiting, etc.

Meningococcal sepsis can be recognized in the first hours of the development of the disease by characteristic rashes in the form of small red spots (from dots to plaques) against the background of pale blue cilia. When the glass rod is pressed, the rash does not disappear.

There are also some characteristic symptoms of meningitis, which can be detected only by a specialist.

Only a doctor can diagnose meningitis. For the correct diagnosis, in addition to special tests to determine pathological reflexes, a number of studies are being carried out.

Therapy

How to get meningitis, more or less clear. How is this serious disease treated? Therapy begins before the clinically confirmed picture of the disease, because the most insignificant delay is dangerous. Often, antibiotic therapy begins as a doctor of the "First Aid". Antibiotics penicillin series, corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, plasma substitutes, body-supporting drugs are used.

Prevention

Effective prevention of meningitis as such does not exist. Anti- meningitis vaccines do not give 100% guarantee, as the causative agents of meningitis are many.