Meningitis, symptoms in adults

When the doctor puts the patient diagnosis of meningitis, immediately hears the question, what is it? Meningitis in adults refers to inflammatory diseases that affect the brain.
Signs of meningitis in adults found very often. Infectious meningitis has the highest mortality rate. It reaches 20%. Therefore, symptoms of meningitis in adults cause physicians increased attention to the diagnosis of the disease and its treatment.

Kind of disease

To get meningitis simply from any contact with the sick person. This disease is very dangerous to others. It is very contagious. The pathogens of infection after entering the body, cause inflammation of the soft meninges.
Meningitis has different symptoms, in adults, they lead to serious pathology. The nature of the infection, due to which there is a pathological condition, is crucial in determining the type of the disease.
Viral. Proceeds without complications. Not fatal.
Bacterial. The disease is always very heavy, the patient may die.
Fungal meningitis. The disease causes the infectious fungus. Basically this disease are sick elderly people who have poor immunity.
Tubercular. The most dangerous meningioma infection. It causes in the body and the development of tuberculosis infection.

Cause of disease

Meningococcal disease in adults is caused by viral infectious bacteria. The main agents are considered:

• "Neisseria Meningitidis»,
• "Streptococcus pneumoniae»,
• "Listeria monocytogenes".

In the human body are bacteria that can cause disease. For a healthy person, their presence is absolutely not dangerous. But if meningococcal infection enters the bloodstream, it may cause inflammation of the brain.
Infectious agent can be transmitted in various ways:

1. Poor personal hygiene,
2. Diet,

   

3. Through touching various subjects,
4. Sneezing,
5. Cough.

Meningitis may become ill and the baby, during childbirth if the bacteria are in the family of the parent channels.

Risk factor

Doctors believe that the greatest predisposition to the disease have:

1. Menfolk,
2. Older people,
3. Refusal of vaccination,
4. Immunodeficiency,
5. Congenital pathology of the nervous system,
6. Cranial trauma,
7. Neurosurgical intervention,
8. Renal failure,
9. Respiratory diseases,
10. Tuberculosis,
11. Syphilis,
12. lyme disease.

Characteristic symptom

When the meningitis is detected, the main symptoms in adults are the following types of pathology:

1. General weakness,
2. Constantly hear ringing in my ears,
3. Strong fever. Temperature prevyshaet39 degrees,
4. Poor appetite,
5. Constantly headache,
6. Skin rash,
7. Drowsiness,
8. Vomiting,
9. Convulsion.

   

When cause diseases are bacterial pathogens of meningitis starts suddenly. The clinical signs and symptoms is always pronounced.
In viral disease, the symptoms do not appear immediately. Only a few days they become much pronounced. In the beginning, the disease resembles an ordinary cold. But after a few days, and the clinical picture of meningitis a distinctive shape.

Features of bacterial meningitis

1. High fever,
2. Chill,
3. On the skin one can see the characteristic rash,
4. Conjunctivitis,
5. Uterine bleeding,
6. Necrosis of ears.

Infectious pneumococcal meningitis

The disease causes inflammation of the meninges. Can be combined with different otitis. You may receive the pneumonia. The disease develops with great speed. Appear seizures, there is a disorder of consciousness.

id="l-7">Tuberculous meningitis

Suddenly the temperature rises. After a few days starts to ache, opens with vomiting. These symptoms combined with the signs of occurrence of tuberculous infection in the organism.

Complications

This is a serious disease that can cause a variety of complications. In most cases, patients show:

1. Nervous system disorder,
2. Hearing impairment,
3. Paresises,
4. Shortness of eye movement.

As in meningitis inflamed blood vessels of the brain, may develop stroke. The complications of meningitis include:

1. Bacterial shock,
2. DIC,
3. Thrombosis,
4. PE,
5. Endocarditis,
6. Distress syndrome.

How to diagnose meningitis

If the doctor has any suspicion that the patient has manifested symptoms of meningitis are assigned to certain laboratory tests. These include:

1. Lumbar puncture. With its help it is taken the cerebrospinal fluid. This material helps to determine the level of disease to identify its causative agent. Puncture allows to determine the sensitivity of bacteria to drugs,
2. Blood test. Shows all the components of blood, to confirm the diagnosis. Sometimes done blood culture to determine sterility,
3. Examination of the urine. Checks the work of the renal system and the search for possible infection afflicting the urinary tract,
4. Biopsy. Be performed for diagnosis of lesions on the skin and possible skin diseases,
5. MRI. Modern method helps to diagnose possible complications of meningitis that occurred in the area of the brain,
6. Roentgen. Be performed to check the lungs and sinuses, the presence of harmful microorganisms.

How is the treatment of meningitis

The type of infection influences the selection of medications and treatment of the disease. The presence of various complications affect the treatment of meningitis. Only patients who have the disease is fairly easily, can carry out treatment on an outpatient basis.
Other levels of the disease need prompt medical assistance. They must be set round the clock surveillance.
Treatment of meningitis consists of several stages.
The destruction of the pathogen. Such a causal treatment is carried out using a variety of drugs. It all depends on the microorganisms that caused the disease. This includes the following types of drugs:

1. Antibacterial,
2. Antiviral,
3. Antifungal.

The doctor selects a drug therapy, based on the data analysis, showing the sensitivity of bacteria to a specific group of drugs. To get the maximum effect Antibacterials are administered intravenously or directly into the spinal cord.
Diuretics help to reduce intracranial pressure. Hormones affect the tissue swelling and reduce the pressure of the CSF system of the human brain.
Infusion therapy is carried out for the rapid excretion of the pathogen. It destroys all the toxins trapped in the body, constantly poisoning brain tissue. Join special intravenous colloid solutions of a certain volume.
Symptomatic therapy. To deal with spasms and fever, apply painkillers and antipyretic drugs.

Complications

If for meningitis has a mild nature, in a few days it becomes clear what should be the drug therapy.

The patient survived the disease, may cause some complications:

1. VSD,
2. Headache,
3. The change in intracranial pressure.

That is why all patients who have recovered from the disease, are put on record in the clinic.

Preventive measures

All preventive measures have the same orientation. They commence with childhood. At this age children are vaccinated against infectious viruses:

• Measles,
• Rubella,
• Parotitis's,
• Smallpox,
• Meningococcu's,
• Pneumococcu's,
• Haemophilus influenzae, group B.

When vaccination carried out in time, the body is formed a powerful immune protection against the major pathogens of this disease.
Additional protivoanemicescoe vaccination can be recommended to people living in the hostel who are going to visit the countries where this infection is widespread. This is especially true for people with removed spleen, or HIV infected.
It is not necessary to come into close contact with a person sick with meningitis. It needs to be separated from all living in the area. This is especially true of young children.
To avoid Contracting the disease after meeting with the ill person, you must complete the chemopreventive actions. You need to take antibacterial drugs. The course of treatment can be very short.

Conclusion

Any kind of meningitis is considered a severe disease. The appearance of the slightest symptoms require immediate medical attention.