InsightsFrenzy.com | Discover Insightful Content

Different Ways to Treat Meningitis

Meningitis is a disease characterized by the inflammation of the meninges surrounding your spinal cord and brain. Its inflammation triggers several symptoms. Some cases of the disease can be treated in a few weeks while others can be fatal and require immediate antibiotic treatment. It is absolutely necessary to seek immediate attention if you suspect meningitis. Early symptoms of the disease may mimic influenza and it may take a few hours or several days for the symptoms to develop.

Early treatment for meningitis is key to boosting your chances of survival and can avoid certain complications. Before discussing the treatment methods for the forms of the disease, let’s discuss the common symptoms of meningitis and ways to treat it.

Symptoms
Most cases of the disease in the country are caused by a viral infection. Other causes include fungal and bacterial infections. Cancer and autoimmune disease may lead to the onset of the disease as well. Here are a few of the common symptoms and signs of the disease for anyone aged 2 years and above.

Stiff neck
Seizures
Severe headache
Sudden high fever
Sensitivity to light
Loss of appetite
No thirst
Skin rashes
Sleepiness or difficulty in waking up
Nausea and vomiting

Vaccination
Getting yourself vaccinated is the key to protecting yourself from the three most common bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis. These bacteria commonly affect adults and children alike. Meningitis vaccines can cure certain meningitis causing viruses as well so do try them out. Getting vaccinated is one of the easiest forms of treatment for meningitis. These vaccines though cannot protect you from non-infectious causes of meningitis, which include autoimmune disorders and cancer.

Bacterial meningitis and its treatment
Antibiotics are generally used to treat bacterial meningitis. You will be treated with one or more antibiotics. These target the bacteria causing the infection. Antibiotics are the key to the treatment of bacterial meningitis.

Viral Meningitis and Its Treatment
While antibiotics are used to treat people suffering from bacterial meningitis, they have no effect on those suffering from viral meningitis. Sadly, antibiotics cannot kill viruses. If you have been diagnosed with viral meningitis, you will be taken off the antibiotic therapy you were initially being given. Viral meningitis is mild as compared to its bacterial form. There is no specific treatment for the same and patients usually recover from the disease within 7 to 10 days of rest. Maintain a proper fluid intake and consume over the counter pain medication and fever reducers. If you have meningitis caused by influenza or a herpes virus, your doctor may prescribe the use of an antiviral medication. Different medications are also used as a treatment for meningitis caused by viruses:

Some medications treat CMV meningitis by boosting the weakened immune system of the sufferer. This helps you to fight the disease better.
Some medications are solely used to treat people suffering from meningitis caused by the herpes simplex virus.

Other treatment methods
Fungal meningitis can be treated with a long course of high dosage IV antifungal medications. Depending on the type of infection, other antifungal medicines may be used as well. Cryptococcal meningitis can be treated with amphotericin B. It can also be used to treat cases of meningitis caused by a parasite. Corticosteroids can be used to treat the inflammation caused by meningitis. This is most important when treating bacterial meningitis. Steroids are given in conjunction with antibiotics to cater to this condition.

Preventive measures to follow
There are several things you can do to avoid the possibility of the onset of meningitis. Take all your vaccinations on time as skipping scheduled vaccines can raise the risk of you getting affected by the disease.

Stay in clean environments as the risk of acquiring the bacterial variant of the disease increases in poorly kept community settings. Avoid consuming too much alcohol as it impacts your immune system and makes it incapable of fighting meningitis.

AIDS and diabetes impact the immune system as well. Get yourself vaccinated if you have your spleen removed as getting it removed increases your risk of getting meningitis. If you are already suffering from the disease, seek treatment for meningitis immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Disclaimer:

The content provided on our blog site traverses numerous categories, offering readers valuable and practical information. Readers can use the editorial team’s research and data to gain more insights into their topics of interest. However, they are requested not to treat the articles as conclusive. The website team cannot be held responsible for differences in data or inaccuracies found across other platforms. Please also note that the site might also miss out on various schemes and offers available that the readers may find more beneficial than the ones we cover.

Popular Articles

The Best Ways to Treat Meningitis

It is import to first screen the condition. Carrying a meningitis diagnose help a physician learn the severity of the disease and recommend a treatment accordingly. Therefore, one comes to a treatment, it is essential to first report the nature of the disease experienced by a patient.

Understanding the Symptoms of Meningitis

As far as inflammations are concerned, meningitis is understandably the most difficult one to treat and deal with. It is a condition that is well-researched and monitored. It is an infection of sorts, that means treatment isn’t very difficult to figure out.

The various aspects of meningitis that one should be aware of

Meninges are the three membranes that offer coverage on the spinal cord and brain, and the inflammation surrounding the areas of the meninges is called meningitis. Mostly common among adolescents and infants, meningitis can affect anyone at any age, and the lack of treatment is susceptible to cause a serious health problem.

Everything To Know About Meningitis

Everything to know about meningitis You may have heard of this disorder, and you might have a vague idea of how deadly it can be. Meningitis is one of the deadliest inflammation disorders to exist, because it can be quick in its progress, and if left untreated can wreak havoc.

8 Glaring Signs of Meningitis in Children You Should Not Ignore

There are individual membranes which cover the brain and spinal cord, and these are known as meninges. Inflammation of these meninges gives rise to a condition known as meningitis. Although there is no particular age for the occurrence of meningitis, it is more predominant in people who are living in close quarters like school kids packed in a classroom, college students, and people sharing dorm rooms, among others.

Signs You Might be Suffering from Meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis is a kind of serious bacterial infection that affects the protective lining of the brain and the spinal cord. This protective layer is known as meninges, and the infection spreads through mucus or saliva.