Definition and Description of Meningitis Types

Meningitis is a disease that involves infection of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord, these tissues are called meninges. There are three types of meningitis; viral, fungal, and bacterial. Viral meningitis usually resolves on its own. Medications can be prescribes for symptoms but the virus just has to run its course. The viral form is often misdiagnosed as the flu because the symptoms so similar. It’s the most common type of meningitis and can cause some long term effects such as headaches and memory loss. Although it is the most common, there are no vaccinations to prevent it. This is because it spreads much like the common cold the best prevention is to wash your hands frequently especially before eating or handling food. Another sure way to prevent the illness is to not share lipstick or lip balms and to reframe from sharing drinks. Fungal meningitis is the rarest. It most often presents itself in people with suppressed immune systems. Bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous type and should be approached as a medical emergency. This form of the disease can be life threatening if treatment is delayed. Death may occur from bacterial meningitis in as little as twenty four hours. People who survive may develop health problems, have damage to extremities or may even have to have extremities amputated. There is a vaccine for Meningococcal Meningitis, one cause of bacterial meningitis. It is recommended for people to get the vaccination between eleven and eighteen years of age.

What happens is a causative agent enters the bloodstream and offsets an inflammation of the meninges. Also, inflammation of mater occurs causing Increased Cranial Pressure (ICP). Bacterial meningitis can also be an opportunistic infection i...

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...when they may have come in to contact with the illness meningitis and how to go about getting treated.

Work Cited

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