Meningitis is a relatively rare infection that affects the delicate membranes called meninges (men-in'-jeez) that cover the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis can be contagious among people in close contact such as in classrooms and university dorms. So many people searching symptoms of Spinal Meningitis.
Symptoms of Spinal Meningitis
Common symptoms of spinal meningitis include:
- Fever and chills
- Severe headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stiff neck (meningismus)
- Discomfort looking into bright lights.
- Mental status changes
- Sleepiness or confusion
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Joint aches and pain
- Muscle spasm
- Pain that radiates from the spine
- Seizures
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease :
- Decreased consciousness
- Rapid breathing
- Agitation
- Opisthotonos (severe neck stiffness, ultimately resulting in a characteristic arched posture-seen in infants or small children)
- Bulging fontanelles (the soft spots in a baby's skull may bulge)
- Poor feeding or irritability in children
- Meningitis is an important cause of fever in newborn children. For this reason, a lumbar puncture is often done on newborns who have a fever of uncertain origin.
In children, symptoms may include :
- A blank, staring expression
- A dislike of being touched or handled
- A high-pitched, moaning cry
- Arching back
- Fever with cold hands and feet
- Fretfulness
- Lethargy or difficulty waking up
- Pale, blotchy skin color
- Refusal to eat
- Vomiting
- Whimpering
When a child is affected, he or she may refuse to stand or sit because it hurts.
In newborns and small infants, the classic symptoms headache, fever, and neck stiffness may be absent or difficult to detect; the infant may only appear slow or inactive and irritable. The infant may also feed poorly or vomit. As the disease progresses, people of any age may have seizures.
Anyone with possible symptoms should seek immediate medical care by contacting their doctor or going to an emergency room or clinic.
