What Is Meningitis?
In defining what is meningitis, it is a disease of the brain and the spinal cord. It is thus a cerebral-nervous condition. It involves swelling of the meninges. Meninges are membranes surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. When these membranes become inflamed, they interfere with the smooth floor of blood to the brain tissues and the spinal cord. The disease is caused by viral and bacterial infections that cause the inflammation to occur. Typically the swelling occurs as the body immune system releases chemicals to fight the perceived virus and bacteria. Meningitis is also caused by conditions that induce soreness of tissues of the body without infections.
The swelling of the meninges membranes result to weakened function of the brain and the spinal cord. Swelling of the membranes presses the blood vessels supplying and drawing blood to and from the brain respectively. A person suffering from meningitis experiences severe headache due to constriction of the blood vessels where the supply of blood to the brain tissue is hampered. Interference with the brain tissue and the subsequent constrain of nerve fibers prompts a symphatic nervous response which further induces nausea and vomiting. There is stiffness of the neck. Confusion and sleepiness are experienced too.
The nervous system is responsible for the transmission of impulses from one part of the body to the brain and back to that part. For instance, when a person is wounded, the nerves communicate with the brain then back to the injured part tissues and that is when pain is experienced. The change in behavior of an infected person is due to the impaired coordination of the nervous system and the brain.
Usually, stiff neck is one of the meningitis symptoms that differentiate this disease from other disease. Whereas the symptoms in adults are more defined, meningitis symptoms in children, include fever, poor feeding, tiredness and irritation, all of which are shown in other infections. Therefore, thorough clinical examination is required in the children to ascertain and diagnose the disease.
Meningitis is a contagious disease. This implies that it can be spread from one person to another through contact with the infected person. It can be spread through kissing and coughing. The degree of infectiousness is not as pronounced as that of common colds and flu. Therefore, it requires relatively a long time for a person who is in contact with an infected person or surface to transmit the disease.
However, direct contact with a patient’s body fluids such as saliva and respiratory secretions places one at greater chances of contracting the disease. Persons living together and practicing kissing and other behaviors that involve body fluid contact are at high changes of contracting the disease from each other.
Since the disease has been researched and a meningitis vaccine identified, usually children are vaccinated at birth and a few months later to strengthen their body’s immunity to fight meningitis. The disease can easily be confused with other diseases such as inflammation of the brain medically referred to as encephalitis. Any person who suspects to have meningitis should see the doctor immediately. Usually an inflammation of the brain can be fatal than meningitis. It is usually life threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
The swelling of the meninges membranes result to weakened function of the brain and the spinal cord. Swelling of the membranes presses the blood vessels supplying and drawing blood to and from the brain respectively. A person suffering from meningitis experiences severe headache due to constriction of the blood vessels where the supply of blood to the brain tissue is hampered. Interference with the brain tissue and the subsequent constrain of nerve fibers prompts a symphatic nervous response which further induces nausea and vomiting. There is stiffness of the neck. Confusion and sleepiness are experienced too.
The nervous system is responsible for the transmission of impulses from one part of the body to the brain and back to that part. For instance, when a person is wounded, the nerves communicate with the brain then back to the injured part tissues and that is when pain is experienced. The change in behavior of an infected person is due to the impaired coordination of the nervous system and the brain.
Usually, stiff neck is one of the meningitis symptoms that differentiate this disease from other disease. Whereas the symptoms in adults are more defined, meningitis symptoms in children, include fever, poor feeding, tiredness and irritation, all of which are shown in other infections. Therefore, thorough clinical examination is required in the children to ascertain and diagnose the disease.
Meningitis is a contagious disease. This implies that it can be spread from one person to another through contact with the infected person. It can be spread through kissing and coughing. The degree of infectiousness is not as pronounced as that of common colds and flu. Therefore, it requires relatively a long time for a person who is in contact with an infected person or surface to transmit the disease.
However, direct contact with a patient’s body fluids such as saliva and respiratory secretions places one at greater chances of contracting the disease. Persons living together and practicing kissing and other behaviors that involve body fluid contact are at high changes of contracting the disease from each other.
Since the disease has been researched and a meningitis vaccine identified, usually children are vaccinated at birth and a few months later to strengthen their body’s immunity to fight meningitis. The disease can easily be confused with other diseases such as inflammation of the brain medically referred to as encephalitis. Any person who suspects to have meningitis should see the doctor immediately. Usually an inflammation of the brain can be fatal than meningitis. It is usually life threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
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