Meningitis (sometimes called spinal meningitis) is the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. The cause of the disease---often viral or bacterial---determines the severity. Many bothersome symptoms accompany viral meningitis, but it is not generally a life-threatening illness. Most people who contract viral meningitis quickly make a full recovery, according to the Meningitis Research Foundation. Bacterial meningitis, however, can be very serious and even life threatening. Although the symptoms for both conditions start out the same, they often clear up with viral meningitis and worsen with bacterial meningitis. A doctor can perform a spinal tap to diagnose the condition.
General Illness
Meningitis symptoms can appear quickly, in a matter of hours. General feelings of illness, such as body aches and pains occur. A person with the infection may develop a headache and nausea. He may even vomit. These symptoms are often mistaken for a seasonal bug or other less serious illness. People often delay treatment until other effects of the illness become apparent.
Unusual Effects
A person with meningitis might experience unusual effects that may not be as common with other illnesses. Sensitivity to light may affect an individual with meningitis, making it difficult and even painful to look at light. Skin rashes may also appear on the body, specifically, purple spots on the that indicate sepsis (blood poisoning).
Sepsis
Sepsis is a severe effect of meningitis, causing a whole body response. The first signs of sepsis may be changes in body temperature, such as a high or low temperature. Shaking and weakness may also occur. As sepsis worsens, the heart rate increases, and breathing is rapid. The blood pressure may drop, and the individual's organs may fail. Immediate medical attention is necessary to life.
Permanent Effects
Medical attention, including high doses of intravenous antibiotics, may be successful at treating meningitis. If started early in the course of the disease, the risks of death from meningitis are reduced to below 15 percent, according to the CDC, though the risk is higher in elderly individuals. However, in some cases, meningitis causes permanent effects, such as brain damage, hearing loss or the loss of limbs. According to Fighting Meningitis.com, as many as 83 percent of the cases of meningitis in the United States affecting adolescents and young adults are preventable with a vaccination.
