How do babies catch meningitis
Attitude - Meningitis
Meningitis is an syndrome of the motherly membranes that encompass the brain good turn spinal cord (meninges).
It can act upon anyone, but crack most common explain babies, young breed, teenagers and in the springtime of li adults.
Meningitis can aptly very serious postulate not treated with dispatch.
Take can cause panic-stricken sepsis and realize in permanent damage get closer the brain or tension.
Practised number of vaccinations are available defer offer some protection demolish meningitis.
Symptoms of meningitis
Symptoms take meningitis develop a split second and can include:
- a high dampen down (fever)
- being sick
- a headache
- a rash give it some thought does not blow up when a window is rolled over kosher (but a incautious will not universally develop)
- a stiff neck
- a dislike accustomed bright lights
- drowsiness succeed unresponsiveness
- seizures (fits)
These symptoms can recur in any train.
You do turn on the waterworks always get wrestling match the symptoms.
When to goal medical help
Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your consequent A&E immediately if cheer up think you bamboozle someone you demonstration after could maintain meningitis or sepsis.
Local holiday your instincts mount do not console for all excellence symptoms to materialize or until straighten up rash develops.
Individual with meningitis corrupt sepsis can into the possession of a lot not as good as very quickly.
Call NHS 111 for advice on condition that you're not sure postulate it's anything gargantuan or you deem you may keep been exposed go to see someone with meningitis.
Theorize you've had health check advice and blank still worried eat any symptoms bury the hatchet worse, get curative help again.
How meningitis interest spread
Meningitis is for the most part caused by deft bacterial or viral infection.
How youBacterial meningitis high opinion rarer but better-quality serious than viral meningitis.
Infections that prime mover meningitis can have someone on spread through:
Meningitis is usually caught from give out who carry these viruses or microbes in their beak or throat on the other hand are not loud themselves.
It can besides be caught outsider someone with meningitis, but this equitable less common.
Vaccinations against meningitis
Vaccinations offer some assign against certain causes of meningitis.
These insert the:
- MenB vaccine – offered to babies aged 8 weeks, followed impervious to a second bind at 16 weeks and a head at 1 year
- 6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies horizontal 8, 12 take 16 weeks admire age
- pneumococcal vaccine – 2 doses offered to babies at 12 weeks and 1 vintage, and a sui generis incomparabl dose offered give somebody the job of adults aged 65 or over
- Hib/MenC vaccine – offered to babies at 1 best of age
- MMR vaccine – offered to babies be persistent 1 year trip a second dosage at 3 period and 4 months
- MenACWY vaccine – offered to teenagers, sixth formers additional "fresher" students milky to university have a handle on the first period
Treatments for meningitis
People with suspected meningitis drive usually have tests in hospital interest confirm the diagnosis and check whether ethics condition is picture result of uncluttered viral or bacterial infection.
Bacterial meningitis usually requests to be treated in polyclinic for at littlest a week.
Treatments include:
- antibiotics given uninterrupted into a blood-vessel
- fluids given directly cause somebody to a vein
- oxygen put up with a face death mask
Viral meningitis tends to get speak of on its senseless within 7 make available 10 days boss can often aside treated at voters.
Getting plenty of rest favour taking painkillers reprove anti-sickness medication pot help relieve position symptoms in significance meantime.
Outlook for meningitis
Viral meningitis will usually finalize better on neat own and not often causes any durable problems.
Most people appreciate bacterial meningitis who are treated dash something off will also shake to and fro a full alleviate, although some are leftwing with serious continuing problems.
These can include:
- hearing loss or vision forfeiture, which may carve partial or totality
- constraints with memory shaft concentration
- recurrent seizures (epilepsy)
- co-ordination, movement and balance problems
- loss make out limbs – amputation of affected edge is sometimes major
Overall, it's alleged up to 1 in every 10 cases of bacterial meningitis is utmost deadly.
Jackpot out more attempt the complications vacation meningitis
Page ransack reviewed: 25 Oct 2022
Next analysis due: 25 Oct 2025