The brain and spinal cord form the human body's central nervous system. The spinal cord is the primary pathway by which the body conducts sensory information from the peripheral nervous system to the brain. The brain processes sensory input and...
If bacteria can successfully invade the body and get into the bloodstream then penetrate what is called the blood-brain barrier to go from the bloodstream to the brain, they can survive in the cerebrospinal fluid and cause meningitis. A physician...
If you're between the ages of 15 and 24, you're at heightened risk of contracting meningitis. Because this bacterial infection can be life-threatening, you should watch closely for early signs and symptoms and seek immediate medical attention if...
Ear infections, also called otitis media, can become severe and cause distress, particularly in infants and children. Infants are more susceptible to ear infections because their auditory canals are more horizontal compared to older children and...
Meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the tissue that surrounds the brain. Symptoms of meningitis in children include headache, fever, vomiting, photophobia (fear of bright lights) and neck stiffness. Several antibiotics can treat bacterial...
Amoebic meningitis is a disease of the central nervous system caused by a microorganism, Naegleria fowleri. Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba typically found in warm, stagnant water. They gain entry to the human body through the nose while...
Meningitis is a serious and often contagious inflammation of the meninges membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. KidsHealth.org warns that fast diagnosis and treatment for this illness is important because some types meningitis can be...
Meningitis can be a bacterial or viral infection that affects the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, or meninges. Meningitis can be serious and sometimes fatal. Eating a healthy diet can help you recover from meningitis quickly. For a...
Meningitis is a serious condition that causes inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. There are many different types of meningitis, and the severity of the condition can vary depending upon whether it is caused by a...
Chronic meningitis is a slow developing disease. It may be weeks or months before you even notice meningitis symptoms. You're more prone to chronic meningitis if you have a weaker immune system. Cancer, AIDS, long-term drug use and chemotherapy...
Meningitis is a potentially serious disease that involves the inflammation of the membranes around the brain and the spinal cord, caused by an infection that traveled through the bloodstream. Meningitis may be caused by a viral infection known as...
Haemophilus influenzae causes upper respiratory tract infections that can develop into potentially fatal infections of the brain, bloodstream, lungs and bones. The World Health Organization estimates that Haemophilus influenzae is responsible for...
If your baby experiences a seizure or has a low body temperature, you should immediately take him to the emergency room. The presence of either symptom indicates a serious problem worthy of immediate medical attention. Although it is impossible to...
The meninges are membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. These membranes can become inflamed due to infection by bacteria or viruses, leading to a condition called meningitis. Bacterial infections of the meninges are usually more severe...
It is quite common for people to experience the occasional headache, brought on by stress or sinus pressure. Many people suffer from constant daily headaches that do not go away. Some chronic headaches do not appear to have an underlying cause,...
Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare and serious allergic reaction to medications, such as anti-gout medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, sulfonamides- or sulfa-containing drugs and penicillin, and anticonvulsants. Infections, such as...
Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a condition in which the brain structures called ventricles are abnormally enlarged. Ventricles are filled with fluid known as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); CSF flows throughout the brain and spinal cord....
Meningitis is inflammation of an area between two of the three membranes--known as the meninges--covering the brain and spinal cord. Possible causes of meningitis include bacteria, fungi and parasites, but when a virus causes the condition doctors...
Sepsis is a severe bacterial infection that involves the entire body. According to MayoClinic.com, the mortality rate for this disease is almost 50 percent. The most important treatment for sepsis is antibiotics, to eradicate the infection, and a...
The brain is located in a privileged position in the human body. It is protected from trauma by a hard skull and from blood-borne infections by the blood-brain barrier, an anatomical barricade to the passage of large bacteria or substances into...
From the moment of entry into this world, bacteria surround you. They are abundant in all environments. Bacteria live on your skin, in your intestine and in many other body locations. The overwhelming majority of bacteria do not cause disease....
Spinal meningitis, or bacterial meningitis, is a serious infection of the spinal fluid and protective tissues overlying the brain. The infection can damage the brain tissues, causing a variety of neurological effects. People who suffer brain...
Hearing of a case of meningitis can evoke fear, especially when a daycare, school or college is involved. Meningitis symptoms include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting. and often appear suddenly. Individually, these...
Frontal lobe dementia or frontotemporal dementia make up approximately 10 percent of dementia cases. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, dementia is characterized by a loss of two or more complex brain...
35 million people develop sinus infections in the U.S., according to Doctor Murray Grossan, a leading eye, nose and throat doctor in California. The Mayo Clinic claims that a chronic sinus infection includes any sinus infection that lasts for more...
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's glossary of terms, acute care is one that intends to cure an illness or to provide definitive care of an injury, or to reduce symptoms or severity of an injury or illness....
A neurological disorder or disease affects the central and peripheral nervous system. According to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, a child's complex and vulnerable nervous system can be damaged by traumas, infections, heredity and tumors,...
Both viral and bacterial meningitis are severe and potentially life-threatening illnesses that most commonly affect infants and young children. While viral meningitis usually clears up on its own without causing permanent damage, the same cannot...
Neck pain can affect how you move and even how you think -- the pain can make it more difficult to concentrate, and movement that utilizes the spine and/or upper body can deter you from being as active as you would like. Unfortunately for anyone...
