Symptoms of Meningitis: Everything You Need to Know

Recognizing the symptoms of meningitis is essential to knowing when to seek treatment and to avoid the potentially severe effects of the condition. Ano ang mga sintomas ng meningitis?

What is meningitis?

Meningitis occurs when there is inflammation of the meninges, or the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain. Any one of any age can get meningitis, and it spreads easily among people living in close contact.

There are several different types of meningitis based on what caused the inflammation. These include:

• Bacterial meningitis
• Viral meningitis
• Fungal meningitis
• Parasitic meningitis
• Amebic meningitis
• Non-infectious meningitis

With that being said, here are the following sintomas ng meningitis.

Symptoms of Meningitis

The various types may share some similarities when it comes to symptoms.

Symptoms of Bacterial Meningitis

Here are sudden symptoms that may be exhibited by a person with bacterial meningitis:

• Fever
• Headache
• Stiffness in the neck
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Confusion
• The eyes start to become sensitive to light (photophobia)

Infants who contract bacterial meningitis may exhibit the following symptoms:

• Babies start to become irritable
• Vomiting
• Babies are slow or inactive
• Feed poorly

There are other things that also indicate that the baby has bacterial meningitis such as a bulging fontanelle (soft spot located on a baby’s head), or abnormal reflexes. Once these symptoms are spotted in a baby, they must be brought to the hospital as soon as possible.

When it comes to bacterial meningitis, symptoms may appear from 3 to 7 days after exposure.

Immediate treatment is important. Letting bacterial meningitis go untreated may lead to more severe symptoms such as coma or seizures. Therefore, if you have spotted any signs or symptoms of bacterial meningitis, you must go to a hospital right away.

Symptoms of Viral Meningitis

Below is a list of the symptoms of viral meningitis. Symptoms include:

• Stiffness in the neck
• Fever
• Headaches
• Vomiting
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Eyes start to become more sensitive to light
• Lack of appetite
• Sleepiness or having trouble waking up

Additional symptoms that babies may exhibit include:

• Fever
• Lack of energy
• Sleepiness or having troubles waking up from their sleep
• Poor eating

In the case of viral meningitis, people will start to feel better after a span of 7 to 10 days. Despite having some similar symptoms to bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis is not as severe as bacterial meningitis.

Symptoms of Fungal Meningitis

Below are common symptoms of fungal meningitis:

• Stiffness of the neck
• Fever
• Headache
• Confusion
• Eye becomes sensitive to light
• Vomiting
• Nausea

Symptoms of Parasitic Meningitis

Parasitic meningitis is a rare type of meningitis called EM (eosinophilic meningoencephalitis). EM is caused by three different parasites – A. cantonensis, B. procyonis, and G. spinigerum. These may infect the eyes.

People with symptomatic EM may exhibit symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• Headache
• Stiffness of the neck
• Eyes become more sensitive to light

People with EM caused by A. cantonensis may exhibit the following additional symptoms:

• Low-grade fever
• Painful feeling in their skin

People who are infected with Baylisascaris, which comes from raccoons that are infected with B. procyonis, will most likely experience severe symptoms such as:

• Coma
• Paralysis or weakness
• Permanent disability
• Loss of muscle control
• Death

Symptoms of Amebic Meningitis

The early stages of amebic meningitis are similar to that of bacterial meningitis. Below are the initial symptoms of amebic meningitis, which appear 1 to 7 days after being infected:

• Nausea
• Headache
• Fever
• Stiffness of the neck
• Vomiting

Symptoms that may show up later are:

• Hallucinations
• Seizures
• Loss of balance
• Confusion
• Lack of attention to surroundings

Amebic meningitis is severe. Once these symptoms start to show up, amebic meningitis will worsen rapidly and may potentially cause death within 1 to 12 days.

Symptoms of Non-infectious Meningitis

Non-infectious meningitis is a type of meningitis that cannot be spread from one person to another.

Common symptoms of non-infectious meningitis include:

• Stiffness of the neck
• Fever
• Headache

Other symptoms may also include:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Eyes become sensitive to light

Key takeaway

Meningitis occurs when the meninges become inflamed. The symptoms of different types of meningitis may look similar, so it is important to visit a hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment. Whether the sintomas ng meningitis belongs to a type that is severe or not, people must still be cautious and have themselves checked by a doctor right away.

Learn more about Meningitis here.