Meningitis: signs in adults, treatment of disease

Meningitis is a life-threatening disease characterized by inflammation of the brain membrane, which in the absence of proper treatment in 90 or more percent of cases has adverse outcomes.

The disease is caused by an infectious agent: a virus, a bacterium, a fungus, which can penetrate the cerebral membrane from the nasopharynx, ears, and paranasal sinuses. Also, the microbe can be brought into the shell by a current of blood, causing meningitis. The signs in adults are quite specific, therefore in most cases it is not difficult to diagnose an infectious disease specialist, neurologist or therapist.

Is meningitis contagious?

Contrary to popular belief, it is extremely difficult to get meningitis from a sick person. This is possible only if the meningitis is primary (that is, it appeared as an independent disease, and not as a complication of otitis, sinusitis, sepsis) and is caused by bacteria such as meningococcus and hemophilic rod. Infected with inflammation of the medulla in this case most often children who have close contact with each other (in a children's collective or in a family). After the first administration of the antibiotic, the meningitis caused by these microbes becomes non-contagious.

"Pick up" the disease can also be in contact with a patient with ARVI or other viral infection (while these people are not sick with meningitis), a carrier of meningococcus or another bacterium in case an adult has a defect of immunity or a chronic disease of the nervous system. In most cases, an adult falls ill with meningitis when he does not cure (or does not heal) bacterial infections of the ENT organs, but such a patient does not present any danger to others.

Meningitis: signs in adults

The disease begins acutely, usually against the background of catarrhal phenomena (coughing, runny nose), diarrhea or vomiting with fever, and after several days of pain in the ear, maxillary sinuses, or from the ear or nose yellowish, whitish or greenish matter.

Meningitis. Symptoms in adults

1. Headache (less often - pain in the back):

- it first disappears when taking painkillers, then stops responding to them;

- has a localization in the frontal or temporal areas, more rarely - in the neck or in the entire head;

- it becomes painful to sharply turn your head and get up, a slight relief is observed in the lying position.

2. Increase body temperature to different digits.

3. Nausea, vomiting, which is difficult to connect with the reception of some poor-quality food.

4. Drowsiness, weakness, decreased appetite.

5. In the presence of the first two signs, it becomes impossible to reach the sternum with the chin, this may be accompanied by a feeling that it strongly pulls the neck and back.

6. Convulsions with impaired consciousness, loss of clarity of consciousness right up to coma (especially against the background of high fever) may also mean that meningitis takes place here. Attributes in adults of this kind should be an occasion for an immediate call of the "First Aid".

7. Increased skin sensitivity.

8. Unpleasant sensations with loud sounds, bright light.

Distinctive features of meningitis in adults are a headache of the above characteristics, which arose against a background of high body temperature and is accompanied by nausea and / or vomiting. The presence of other symptoms is not always necessary.

Meningitis. Treatment

It is prescribed after the lumbar puncture was determined the nature of the inflammation - serous or purulent. In the first case, antiviral treatment is performed, in the second, antibiotics are given.

In addition, it is important to ensure the maintenance of vital functions, normal blood pressure, reduce intracranial pressure. Detoxification therapy is also carried out , heparin, anti-inflammatory drugs are administered. At the stage of recovery, medications are added to the treatment that improve blood circulation in the brain and its membranes.