How is meningitis transmitted?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on September 08, 2024
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Meningitis, a disease primarily transmitted through close contact, airborne droplets, and poor dietary habits, is mainly caused by bacterial infections leading to purulent meningitis in clinical settings. Some cases are due to tuberculosis bacillus causing tuberculous meningitis. Additionally, there are viral forms of meningitis, most commonly from enteroviruses or Echo viruses. A minority of patients may also develop cryptococcal meningitis. Treatment should involve the use of appropriate antimicrobial drugs based on clinical symptoms and the infecting pathogen, coupled with measures to decrease intracranial pressure and relieve brain edema, ensuring early detection and treatment to prevent complications.

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Does meningitis cause headaches?

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, tuberculosis bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc., which can all cause meningitis. Common symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, etc., thus patients with meningitis do experience headaches. Moreover, headache is one of the most common symptoms in patients with meningitis. Often, patients suffering from headaches will experience symptoms of nausea and vomiting, which is frequently projectile, and in many cases, the headache can be alleviated after vomiting.

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Differentiation between purulent meningitis and viral meningitis

Purulent meningitis and viral meningitis are different diseases. Purulent meningitis is caused by bacterial infection of the meninges. Viral meningitis is caused by viral invasion of the meninges. Generally, purulent meningitis is more severe, and patients may exhibit symptoms of systemic toxin poisoning, such as high fever, nausea, vomiting, sickly appearance, and general weakness. The symptoms of viral meningitis are relatively mild, and the fever is not particularly severe. Another important differentiation is based on the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid. In viral meningitis, the lumbar puncture shows that the white blood cell count is below 1000*10^6/L, and the levels of sugar and chloride are generally normal or slightly low, with protein usually mildly elevated. In purulent meningitis, the cerebrospinal fluid shows a significant increase in white blood cell count, even reaching from 1000*10^6/L to 10000*10^6/L; the protein content is significantly increased, the sugar content is markedly decreased, and chloride levels are reduced. Additionally, bacteria can be found in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood cultures in purulent meningitis, whereas viral meningitis cerebrospinal fluid cultures do not show bacteria.

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How to rule out meningitis.

Patients with meningitis usually show clinical symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. To rule out meningitis, the following points should be considered. The first point is to check if the patient has a relevant medical history. If the patient's symptoms are very normal, without fever or headache, the possibility of meningitis is generally not very high. The second point is to pay attention to the physical examination, to see if there is any sign of meningeal irritation. If there is no meningeal irritation, it also does not support the presence of meningitis. The third point involves performing a lumbar puncture to examine the cerebrospinal fluid, checking if the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid is high, and whether the cellular and biochemical properties within the fluid are normal. If completely normal, the likelihood of meningitis is also very small. Additionally, if necessary, an enhanced MRI scan of the brain should be performed, as meningitis usually shows enhancement.

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How to test for meningitis?

Meningitis is a very common disease in neurology, and the most common causes are infections, including viral infections, common bacterial infections, tuberculosis infections, and fungal infections. The main methods of examination for meningitis are as follows: First, physical examination. A physical examination can reveal neck stiffness in the patient, and positive meningeal irritation signs. These examinations are non-invasive and very safe. Second, a lumbar puncture can also be performed. A lumbar puncture can be used to observe whether the fluid pressure is high, and also to collect cerebrospinal fluid to examine its color, perform cytological and biochemical analyses, and culture the cerebrospinal fluid. This is very important to definitively determine the presence of meningitis and to identify the type of infectious agent involved. Additionally, enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can also be performed to see if there is significant enhancement of the meninges.

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Is meningitis scary?

Is meningitis a frightening disease? Meningitis can be very frightening if the condition progresses quickly, or if it is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening. Many patients often suffer from after-effects following recovery, such as decreased intelligence, dementia, aphasia, paralysis, etc., significantly impacting the quality of life. Therefore, meningitis is a quite frightening disease, and patients should actively cooperate with doctors for treatment to save lives and minimize or reduce the occurrence of after-effects.