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What is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a medical condition that leads to inflammation of the meninges which are the three membranes covering the brain as well as the spinal cord. Meningitis occurs when the fluid surrounding the meninges starts getting infected. Meningitis causes which are known are due to bacterial as well as viral infections. Many other meningitis causes include fungi, cancer, drug allergies as well as chemical irritation. Meningitis bacteria and virus are contagious and therefore can be spread via close contact, sneezing as well as coughing.

Causes of Meningitis

Every type of meningitis will certainly have a slightly different cause. However, every meningitis will act in the same way: A bacterium, virus, fungus, or a parasite will spreads through the bloodstream until it reaches the spinal cord or the brain, further setting up in the fluids or lining around these vital body parts and then starts developing into an advanced infection.

Physical injury or some other conditions are the main causes of non-infectious meningitis. In short, infection isn’t present in such cases.

Types of Meningitis

Meningitis causes that are common are due to viral and bacterial infections. There are different types of meningitis. Say for instance, cryptococcal that is caused due to a fungal infection, and carcinomatous, that is cancer-related. These types of meningitis are not very common.

1. Viral meningitis

This type of meningitis is very common. These cases are more common during the summer as well as fall including:

  • coxsackievirus A
  • coxsackievirus B
  • echoviruses

Meningitis can be caused due to some other viruses such as influenza, HIV, measles, herpes viruses, mums, west nile virus, Colorado tick fever, etc.

This type of meningitis which is viral in nature generally goes away without treatment. But, there are certain causes that need to be treated.

2. Bacterial meningitis

This type of meningitis is contagious and is a result of an infection from certain bacteria. This can be fatal in case it is left untreated. Mentioned below are the common types of bacteria causing bacterial meningitis:

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae, that is typically found in the respiratory sinuses, tract, and nasal cavity and therefore can cause pneumococcal meningitis
  • Neisseria meningitides spreads via saliva and other respiratory fluids and therefore causes meningococcal meningitis
  • Haemophilus influenza is a type of bacterial meningitis causing blood infection, cellulitis, infection of the windpipe and infectious arthritis.
  • There are foodborne bacteria known as Listeria monocytogenes
  • Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacterial meningitis that is generally found on the skin as well as in the respiratory tract, causing “staphylococcal meningitis”

3. Fungal meningitis

This is a very rare type of meningitis that is a result of a fungus infecting your body and then gradually spreading from your bloodstream to your spinal cord or brain. People who have a weak immune system will develop fungal meningitis, including patients suffering from cancer or HIV.

Mentioned below are some of the common funguses that are related to fungal meningitis:

  • Cryptococcus is contaminated due to bird dropping that is inhaled from dirt or soil
  • Blastomyces is yet another type of fungus that is found in soil
  • Histoplasma, is usually found in environments contaminated with bird and bat droppings
  • Coccidioides is a type of fungal meningitis found in soil

4. Parasitic meningitis

This type of meningitis is caused because of parasites that are present in feces, dirt or certain animals such as raw fish, snails, poultry, raw fish, etc. And therefore is less common than viral or bacterial meningitis. Eosinophilic meningitis (EM) is a type of parasitic meningitis which is rarer than others. There are three main parasites that are responsible for EM. These include Baylisascaris procyonis, Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Gnathostoma spinigerum. This type of meningitis doesn’t spread via person to person. However, such parasites cause an infection in the animals and then they hide out on food which a human then eats.

Non-infectious meningitis

Non-infectious meningitis is caused due to physical injuries and therefore doesn’t cause due to an infection. Some of the main causes of this type of meningitis include a head injury, lupus, cancer, certain medications and brain surgery.

Treatment

What should you do in case your Meningitis worsens?

In case you suffer from meningitis symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, fever, confusion, drowsiness, stiff neck, severe headache, pale skin, confusion, irritability, etc. it is important to see a doctor immediately. Your doctor will carry out a diagnosis and then suggest you further course of action.

What are the available Meningitis treatment options?

The primary meningitis treatment is intake of an antibiotic medication such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime. Other alternatives to these medications are Penicillin or ampicillin. Hospitalization is other type of meningitis treatment. Surgery would also be required for treating certain complications from meningitis.

Are there any natural or homemade remedies for Meningitis?

Mentioned below are some of the homemade meningitis treatment:

  • Garlic

Garlic is proven to be beneficial for people suffering from meningitis as the allicin. Garlic is also antiviral and antibacterial properties.

  • Olive Leaf Extract

Olive leaf extract is a herbal approach to get relief from meningitis. It has antiviral as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities.

  • Chlorella

Chlorella is a small plant that is known for its effectiveness for natural meningitis treatment. It also helps in boosting red blood cell production, that increases oxygenation and helps in purifying the blood. It further helps in speeding up recovery and repairing the damage caused from meningitis.

  • Bed Rest

In meningitis, your immune system gets compromised. Therefore, you need bedrest so that any further exposure to viruses or pathogens may make the entire situation even more complicated. So, it is important that a patient gets comfortable and stay in bed till complete recovery.

  • Cold Packs

If a person suffering from meningitis gets fever, it can be quite severe making the treatment and recovery even more difficult. Therefore, using cold packs or ice packs will help to get the fever down and therefore give your immunity a good fighting chance against the infection as well as inflammation.

When to see a doctor?

It is very important that you visit a doctor immediately in case you suspect having meningitis because this medical condition can be potentially fatal. Also, it is important that you contact your doctor in case you have been in a very close contact with a patient suffering from meningitis. Even if you do not display any meningitis symptoms, it is crucial to get in touch with a doctor immediately. It is important that you get meningitis treatment in case you experience any symptoms, even though you’ve been vaccinated. This is because, the vaccination doesn’t prevent all types of meningococcal meningitis.

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