Interesting Facts About Meningitis
Learn More About Meningitis and Get Treatment at Jackson Neurosurgery Clinic
If you wake up with a fever, headache and stiff neck, it could be any number of things, including meningitis. This inflammation of the protective tissues around your brain or spine can come from a number of causes, including viral, parasitic, bacterial, or fungal infections.
At Jackson Neurosurgery Clinic, we provide effective treatment of meningitis, including carcinomatous meningitis. Below, we’ve compiled a list of interesting facts to help you get a handle on this relatively rare condition.
Background and Causes of Meningitis
- So, what is meningitis? This infection impacts the fluid surrounding your spinal cord and brain. The most dangerous type comes from bacterial infections.
- Meningitis can cause permanent impairment, a coma, or, in extreme cases, even death.
- Children under 5 and young adults from 15 to 19 years old are in the highest risk groups.
- About 2,600 Americans develop bacterial meningitis each year. Other types of meningitis are far rarer.
- There are many potential causes including drug allergies, fungus, cancer, and injury.
- Approximately 10% to 15% of those who get meningitis die from it.
Symptoms of Meningitis
- Early symptoms often include sudden high fever, stiff neck, purple bruises on skin, and headaches.
- Worsening cases of meningitis may present symptoms such as confusion, sensitivity to bright lights, rapid breathing, and seizures.
- Symptoms often occur within seven days of contact with viral or bacterial causes.
- Infants have unique symptoms that include poor feeding, irritability, lethargy and a bulging of the fontanelle (soft spot on the head).
Treatment Facts About Meningitis
- Treatment depends on the type of meningitis that you develop. For example, antibiotics can effectively treat viral meningitis, but patients may also heal without intervention. Treatment at home may include drinking plenty of fluids, bed rest, and medicine to reduce pain and fever.
- Meningococcal meningitis is often treated with antibiotics such as Vancomycin (penicillin-resistant strains), Ampicillin (Haemophilus influenzae type B), and other targeted antibiotics.
- At Jackson Neurosurgery Clinic, our board-certified neurosurgeon specializes in treating carcinomatous and fungal meningitis. You can receive minimally invasive radiosurgery procedures designed for your specific case. Additionally, there are several treatment options, which the doctor will discuss during your consultation.
Do you need treatment for meningitis? Contact us at (601) 366-1011 or schedule an appointment online. We’ll find a solution that works for you.
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