• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Health Hearty

Health Hearty

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Articles

Spinal Meningitis

Spinal meningitis is the infection and inflammation of the meninges, and the cerebrospinal fluid of the spinal cord and the brain. It can be caused by bacterial, viral, as well as fungal infections.

Home / General Health / Spinal Meningitis
Spinal Meningitis

Spinal meningitis is the infection and inflammation of the meninges, and the cerebrospinal fluid of the spinal cord and the brain. It can be caused by bacterial, viral, as well as fungal infections.

Spinal meningitis is the infection and inflammation of the meninges, the membrane that covers the brain and the spinal cord. Apart from the meninges, the cerebrospinal fluid can also get infected. If left untreated, the infection can damage the nerve cells, and cause neurological problems. The infection is caused by microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

Causes

Bacterial meningitis is usually referred to as ‘purulent meningitis’, while the non-bacterial form of the disease is termed as ‘aseptic meningitis’. The bacterial form of the disease is usually caused by Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteria. Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is commonly known to cause spinal meningitis in infants, while the other two types of bacteria are responsible for causing the disease in adults.

Would you like to write for us? Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. Get in touch with us and we'll talk...

Let's Work Together!

Bacteria can directly infect the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid, or cause an upper respiratory infection initially and then spread to the brain through the bloodstream. Viral meningitis is a less serious condition that usually resolves on its own. The viruses associated with gastrointestinal diseases are mainly responsible for causing the infection. Apart from bacteria and viruses, it can also be caused by fungi. Fungal meningitis is a rare disease that mostly affects individuals with an weakened immune system. So, people with AIDS are more susceptible to this condition.

Signs and Symptoms

The condition affects the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid, and damages the nerves. This can produce a number of symptoms, such as:

  • High fever and chills
  • Headaches
  • Stiff neck
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Increased sensitivity to light
  • Confusion and drowsiness
  • Rapid breathing
  • Joint pain and muscle spasms
  • Fatigue
  • Seizures

In addition to these symptoms, infants with this condition can exhibit some additional symptoms like:

  • Irritability
  • High pitched crying
  • Reluctance to eat
  • Arching back
  • Bulging fontanelle
  • Lethargy
  • Whimpering

Treatment

It is usually diagnosed with the help of the lumbar puncture procedure, where a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is drawn and tested for the presence of infectious agents. Other diagnostic tests include, chest X-ray, CT scan, and bacterial culture.

A severe case requires hospitalization and intravenous fluid administration. The bacterial form of the disease is treated with appropriate antibiotics. The type of antibiotics used for the treatment can vary depending on the specific strain of the bacteria. In the meantime, if headaches, fever, and seizures become severe, then other medications will be required to manage these symptoms.

Antibiotics are not effective for treating the viral form of the disease. The viral form of the disease usually resolves within 2 to 3 weeks without medical intervention. Vaccines are also available, especially for the meningitis caused by haemophilus and pneumococcus bacteria. The haemophilus vaccine can prove effective in preventing the disease in children.

Severe and untreated meningitis can cause permanent neurological damage, deafness, loss of vision, brain damage, and shock. Hydrocephalus can also occur, if cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain. Some types of bacterial meningitis are contagious that can spread through direct contact with the saliva and the nasal discharge of the infected individual. So, it is important to take some precautionary measures to prevent the transmission of the disease.

Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be replaced for the advice of a medical professional.

Would you like to write for us? Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. Get in touch with us and we'll talk...

Let's Work Together!

Like it? Share it!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
« Previous Post
Next Post »

Category iconGeneral Health

Get Updates Right to Your Inbox

Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox.
Blog Updates

Further Insights

">heart health EKG
">The Facts About Women’s Heart Health
July 27, 2020
">coconuts
">The Many Benefits of Coconut Oil
May 10, 2020
">probiotic compound
">Probiotics: Dynamic Immunity Protection
May 10, 2020

Primary Sidebar

Search

Latest Articles

selection of foods for whole30

A Whole30 Calendar That Will Simplify Meal Planning

whole30 dinner on a plate

Easy Whole30 Dinners for the Busy Lifestyle

cbd oil bottle

Can You Use CBD Oil for Skin Cancer Treatment?

recipe in a book

Paleo Recipes That Make Following the Plan a Breeze

Exploring the website?

Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there!

Footer

We hope you are enjoying HealthHearty! We offer the latest information for being the best, most healthy “you” you can be, covering areas ranging from nutrition and exercise to sleep and stress management.
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Copyright © Health Hearty & Buzzle.com, Inc.
6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.