Meningitis is an infectious disease that affects the meninges. The meninx is the mucosa that lines the brain and spinal cord, it is damaged when an infection from any part of the body is dispersed through the blood and ends up damaging the cerebrospinal fluid (fluid that circulates through the central nervous system).
Meningitis can affect everyone equally regardless of age, however children and babies tend to suffer from it more frequently, after childhood the risks of suffering from it decrease in adulthood. However, this danger does not go away.
Meningitis can be of two types: bacterial or viral. The Bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous because if not treated in time, can result in people severe brain damage and even to death. This type of meningitis is caused by the presence of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. It is very common for it to originate in adolescents; the infected person can spread the disease by coughing, sneezing, or kissing another person.
For its part, viral meningitis is caused by the presence of viruses called enteroviruses. These are usually transmitted through infected mucus, saliva, or stool. This type of infection can be acquired by coming into contact with surfaces that have been touched by a person ill with meningitis.
Viral meningitis is milder and occurs more frequently than bacterial meningitis, however its symptoms can be similar. Some of them are: fever, headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, confusion, seizures, vomiting.
It is essential that people (especially those who are parents) are attentive to any of these symptoms, since in the case of bacterial meningitis, it can be fatal if it is not treated in time. It is recommended to vaccinate children and babies to protect them.
Doctors to make the diagnosis perform an examination called lumbar puncture, which consists of removing a little cerebrospinal fluid to examine it, if the result is bacterial meningitis, this will indicate what type of antibiotic to apply.
Regarding the recommended treatment in case of suffering from viral meningitis, doctors advise taking a lot of rest, so that recovery is much faster, in the same way they prescribe drugs that help to alleviate bodily discomfort.
