Meningitis
Meningitis Treatment in South Carolina
Neurology Specialty
What is Meningitis?
Meningitis is a disease of the meninges, which are the membranes that cover your brain and spinal cord. Meningitis of the spine is another name for it.
Your meninges support your brain and spinal cord and keep them from getting damaged or injured. They have nerves, blood vessels, and a fluid called cerebrospinal fluid that protects them.
Meningitis Symptoms
Early signs of meningitis may be like those of the flu. The symptoms could show up in a few hours or a few days.
Symptoms you can experience if you are over the age of 2 include:
- Sudden high fever
- Stiff neck
- Bad head pain
- Illness or throwing up
- Confused or unable to pay attention
- Seizures
- Lack of sleep or trouble getting up
- Having a sensitivity to light
- Not hungry or thirsty
- In some cases, like bacterial meningitis, it can cause a rash on the skin
Meningitis in babies has similar symptoms with a few differences. Symptoms can make it hard to make them feel better.
What are the Types of Meningitis?
Most of the time, you can tell what kind of meningitis you have by what caused it or how long you’ve had symptoms. Among them are:
- Meningitis from bacteria
- Viral meningitis
- Fungal meningitis
- Parasitic meningitis – Eosinophilic meningitis or eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EM) is the name for meningitis caused by certain parasites
- Primary Amebic Meningitis (PAM) – Meningitis can be caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri
- Drug-induced aseptic meningitis (DIAM) – A rare condition that can be caused by certain drugs. The most common things that cause DIAM are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDS) and antibiotics
- Chronic meningitis – A type of meningitis that has been around for a month or longer
- Acute meningitis – Most cases of bacterial meningitis are acute, which means that the symptoms are serious and come on quickly
How do You Get Meningitis?
Meningitis can be caused by a number of things, some of which are contagious:
- A disease that spreads from person to person, such as a virus or bacteria
- Eating something that makes you sick
- If you swim in or drink water that has something viral in it
- From plants that are in the air you breathe
- As a consequence of diseases that are not contagious, such as cancer or lupus
- Because of a head accident or surgery on the brain
- As a result of taking certain medications
Meningitis Treatment
The treatment for meningitis varies on what caused it. Meningitis caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics, and meningitis caused by fungi is treated with antifungals. Antivirals can be used to treat some types of meningitis that are caused by viruses. Meningitis that isn’t caused by an infection is treated by taking care of the underlying illness or injury.
Meningitis Care in South Carolina
If you are experiencing any symptoms of meningitis, call us at Carolina Orthopaedic & Neurosurgical Associates immediately and we will do what it takes to get you on a treatment plan as soon as possible. Set up a meeting with one of our Neurologists at our Greenville location.