1. Fever-Like Symptoms Are Usually First to Develop
Your initial signs and symptoms will be akin to a common fever, including changes in your body temperature, chills and sweating. These symptoms progress relatively rapidly, and they usually culminate in spells of severe nausea and vomiting.
It's important to seek prompt treatment if you suspect that your fever may be linked to meningitis. While viral meningitis is usually milder, bacterial meningitis is deadly, and both forms of the disease have similar warning signs and symptoms. You'll need to get to a doctor and have a team of health professionals identify whether your symptoms have a viral or bacterial cause.
2. Light and Noise Sensitivity
In addition to your fever symptoms, you might notice that bright light hurts your eyes and loud sounds make you cringe. This is because viral meningitis affects the fluid buildup around your brain, triggering changes in sight and hearing. As you recover, it's best to stay in a dark, quiet room where you won't be affected by these symptoms.
3. Head Pain and Neck Stiffness
The fluid buildup in your brain will cause increasingly severe headaches as your body tries to fight the virus. You'll also develop a stiff and painful neck, which will impair your ability to touch your chin to your chest. Seek immediate medical attention if you develop these symptoms, as they could possibly lead to serious complications.
4. Watch for Changes in Your Wakefulness or Cognitive Abilities
Another common sign of viral meningitis is difficulty staying awake. Many patients report experiencing extreme fatigue that cannot be alleviated by sleeping. You may also suffer from a variety of cognitive impairments, including disorientation and confusion. While seizures are more common with bacterial forms of meningitis, they sometimes affect viral patients too, particularly as the fever symptoms become increasingly severe.
