You should get medical advice as soon as possible if you're concerned that you or your child could have meningitis. Call NHS or your GP surgery for advice if you're not sure if it's anything serious or you think you may have been exposed to someone with meningitis.
Meningitis is usually caught from people who carry these viruses or bacteria in their nose or throat but are not ill themselves.
It can also be caught from someone with meningitis, but this is less common. People with suspected meningitis will usually have tests in hospital to confirm the diagnosis and check whether the condition is the result of a viral or bacterial infection. Bacterial meningitis usually needs to be treated in hospital for at least a week.
Viral meningitis tends to get better on its own within 7 to 10 days and can often be treated at home. Meningitis can also result from noninfectious causes, such as chemical reactions, drug allergies, some types of cancer and inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis.
Meningitis complications can be severe. The longer you or your child has the disease without treatment, the greater the risk of seizures and permanent neurological damage, including:. Common bacteria or viruses that can cause meningitis can spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing eating utensils, a toothbrush or a cigarette.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The CDC recommends that a single dose be given to children ages 11 to 12, with a booster shot given at age If the vaccine is first given between ages 13 and 15, the booster is recommended between ages 16 and If the first shot is given at age 16 or older, no booster is necessary.
This vaccine can also be given to children between the ages of 2 months and 10 years who are at high risk of bacterial meningitis or who have been exposed to someone with the disease.
It's also used to vaccinate healthy but previously unvaccinated people who have been exposed in outbreaks. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.
Overview Meningitis is an inflammation of the fluid and membranes meninges surrounding your brain and spinal cord. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Meningitis Open pop-up dialog box Close. Meningitis Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the fluid and three membranes meninges protecting your brain and spinal cord.
Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Meningitis and encephalitis fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Accessed Sept. Bacterial meningitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bartt R. Acute bacterial and viral meningitis.
Continuum Lifelong Learning in Neurology. Viral meningitis. Fungal meningitis. Derber CJ, et al. Head and neck emergencies: Bacterial meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, upper airway obstruction, and jugular septic thrombophlebitis. Medical Clinics of North America. Longo DL, et al. Some people might need to be treated in the hospital, although kids usually can recover at home if they're not too ill.
Treatment to ease symptoms includes rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medicine. If bacterial meningitis is diagnosed — or even suspected — doctors will start intravenous IV antibiotics as soon as possible.
Fluids may be given to replace those lost to fever, sweating, vomiting, and poor appetite. Complications of bacterial meningitis might need extra treatment. Someone with shock or low blood pressure might get more IV fluids and medicines to increase blood pressure. Some kids may need extra oxygen or mechanical ventilation if they have trouble breathing. Bacterial meningitis complications can be severe and include neurological problems, such as hearing loss, vision problems, seizures , and learning disabilities.
Because impaired hearing is a common complication, those who've had bacterial meningitis should have a hearing test after they recover.
The heart, kidneys, and adrenal glands also might be affected, depending on the cause of the infection. Although some kids develop long-lasting neurological problems, most who get a quick diagnosis and treatment recover fully. Routine immunization can go a long way toward preventing meningitis. The Hib , measles, mumps, polio , and pneumococcal vaccines can protect against meningitis caused by those germs. Kids also should get the meningococcal conjugate vaccine MenACWY when they're 11 or 12 years old, with a booster shot at age Kids older than 11 who haven't been vaccinated also should be immunized, particularly if they're going to college, boarding school, camp, or other places where they'll live in close quarters with others.
This includes kids who:. A newer type of meningococcal vaccine called MenB protects against a type of meningococcal bacterium not covered by the older vaccine. Kids 10 years and older who have a higher risk for infection should get this vaccine.
Others who are not at increased risk may also get it between the ages of 16 and 23 preferably between 16 through 18, which is when the risk of getting infected is highest. The decision to get the MenB vaccine should be made together with their parents and the doctor.
Kids and adults should wash their hands well and often, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom, and if they work closely with kids as in a daycare. Avoid close contact with someone who looks ill and don't share food, drinks, or eating utensils.
0コメント