Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.
Dr. SUSAN MCGLADERRY: Hello, my name is Dr. Susan McGladdery. I'm the medical director from First Med Centers in Budapest, Hungary. I'd like to give you some information about viral meningitis. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes or meninges, the surrounding covering for the brain and spinal cord. What causes meningitis? Mostly, it is due to a viral infection but bacterial and fungal infections also can lead to meningitis. Generally, these are much more serious than a viral infection. Thanks to current childhood vaccination programs, bacterial meningitis is now much less common. What are the signs of meningitis? Early signs maybe just like a flu-type of illness. Later, headache, high fever, vomiting or nausea can develop associated with stiffneck, sensitivity to the light, mental confusion, and skin rash. Who is most at risk of meningitis? Pre-school children, college students, and older adults. Also, pregnant women, those who worked with animals, and anyone who has a problem with their immune system. For example, people with AIDS, those taking certain immunosuppressant medications and suffering from diseases such as diabetes or people who have had the spleen removed. Without treatment, bacterial meningitis is a very serious illness that can be rapidly fatal. There's no way to tell what kind of meningitis you have without seeing your doctor. It may just be a viral meningitis, but without making urgent hospital tests, we won't know. You need a CT scan and lumbar puncture in order for us determine the cause of the meningitis. Therefore, you should seek urgent medical advice if someone has fever, severe headache, confusion, vomiting, and stiffneck. In the case of viral meningitis, antibiotics are not helpful. Sometimes, specific antiviral medication can be used. Fortunately, many cases improved on their own in a week or so just with supportive therapy usually bed rest plenty of fluids and an over-the-counter pain medication. What can you do? You should be careful with hygiene of course and follow a sensible healthy diet and lifestyle and also keep up to date with those vaccines that can protect you against the most serious bacterial causes of meningitis.
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