Conditions & Diseases: Brain & Nervous System

Meningitis

See Also:
Meningitis: Introduction
Meningitis: Types
Meningitis: Causes & Risk Factors
Meningitis: Signs & Symptoms
Meningitis: Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Meningitis: Treatment Options
Meningitis: Prevention Methods

Signs & Symptoms
Some of the common signs and symptoms for meningitis in babies and young children include:

1. High temperature, fever, with the possibility of cold hands and feet

2. Vomiting or nausea and refusing food

3. High pitched moaning and whimpering cry

4. Blank and/or staring expression

5. Pale and blotchy complexion

6. Baby may be floppy and dislike being handled

7. Difficult to wake or lethargic

8. The fontanelle (soft spot on a baby's heads) may be tense or bulging (17).

The common signs and symptoms in children and adults are as follows:

1. High temperature, fever, with the possibility of cold hands and feet.

2. Vomiting or nausea and sometimes diarrhea.

3. Severe headache

4. Stiffness of neck

5. Joint or muscle pains, occasionally cramps in stomach with septicaemia.

6. Intolerance of bright lights

7. Drowsiness

8. Seizures

9. The patient may be confused or disoriented

10. Adults and children may develop rash (17).

Meningitis due to Neisseria meningitis may affect many organs and in extreme severity, lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, internal bleeding, low blood pressure, shock and ultimately death. The above effect is called Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome (18).

See Also:
Meningitis: Introduction
Meningitis: Types
Meningitis: Causes & Risk Factors
Meningitis: Signs & Symptoms
Meningitis: Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Meningitis: Treatment Options
Meningitis: Prevention Methods

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com