- Very early symptoms may include leg pain, extremely cold hands and feet, and unnatural pale skin coloring.
- The most common symptom is swelling. Other symptoms include: high fever, a painful headache, vomiting or nausea with headache, disorientation, seizures, sleepiness, difficulty waking, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, lack of hunger and/or thirst, and skin rash. Children's symptoms may be different than those for adults. Children often exhibit such signs as constant crying, extreme sleepiness, irritability, lack of hunger, a bulge in the soft spot on the top of their head, and stiffness in their neck and body. Infants may be hard to pick up, and may be even more inconsolable and cry harder when held.
- Group b streptococci is a common cause for meningitis in children. Recent skull trauma or those with a cerebral shunt are at increased risk for the condition, too. Fungal meningitis is seen generally in people with immune deficiency, such as AIDS. Viruses that can cause meningitis include enteroviruses; herpes simplex virus type 2, and less frequently type 1; and varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles.
- Your doctor can make a diagnosis through a lumbar puncture, or spinal tap. The procedure entails taking a small amount of spinal fluid for examination. The test can usually, though not always, determine what caused the meningitis.
- Depending on the cause, meningitis may heal within several weeks, or it can turn into a life-threatening medical condition rapidly.
- Seek medical help immediately if you notice signs of meningitis. Delayed treatment for those with bacterial meningitis may increased the chance for permanent brain damage, and could have fatal consequences within days.
