Symptoms of meningitis sufficiently characterized, and their need to know everything. Because of how quickly people sought medical help, will depend on his life. It is especially important to know the symptoms of meningitis parents of small children - they have meningitis Meningitis - an inflammation of the meninges   It runs especially hard, fast and gives a lot of complications.

The first signs of meningitis

Meningitis can be developed independently, against the overall health, and as a complication of some other diseases. The incubation period depends on its type. When meningococcal meningitis Meningococcal meningitis - a manifestation of generalized infection   He is an average of 6-7 days, but can be set to 12 hours and three weeks. The incubation period of serous meningitis Serous meningitis - a consequence of serious infection Caused by enterovirus infection lasts from 2 to 12 days.

In any case, you should pay attention to prompt the rapid onset of this disease: sudden rises very high temperature (up to 39-40˚), there is a fever, malaise, and increasing the intensity of the headache. The first symptoms of meningitis - a high fever, headache, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to various stimuli.

Headache can be diffuse in nature, and can be localized in a particular region often have a headache in the neck, temples and forehead. The pain is very strong, it can not be removed painkillers. At an altitude headaches can appear vomiting, sometimes it is an indomitable character and in young children can lead to dehydration.

The third symptom characteristic of onset of the disease is the appearance of increased skin sensitivity, photophobia, and intolerance to loud sounds. Patients are not allowed to touch themselves, can not tolerate bright lights, and even a slight noise - all this strengthens their headaches and causes irritation.

All these symptoms are related to stimulation of the cranial nerves and spinal nerves. Further symptoms of meningitis consists of meningeal, of brain and local neurological symptoms.

Symptoms of meningitis in adults - it always happens when meningitis rash?

The most characteristic rash of meningococcal meningitis. On the second day of the disease, the skin appears morbilliform rash that quickly passes and instead appears punctulate or in the form of small stars irregularly shaped purpura. Gradually, the rash is increasing in size, merge together to form large conglomerates, slightly elevated above the skin.

Simultaneously, the skin may appear (but they may not be) maculopapular pink-red rash. Since all of these elements are at different stages of maturation, the surface of the patient's body acquires a special "colorful" appearance.

When pneumococcal meningitis Pneumococcal meningitis - the most severe form of meningitis   on the third or fourth day of the disease in almost all adults on the lips, oral mucosa, ears, face, and sometimes on hands and torso appear herpetic (vesicular) rash. Occasionally it happens and purpura, which, however, is different from meningococcal: it is smaller, but abundant. This rash is almost always in the development of sepsis.

Cold sores around the nose and lips are also characteristic of enteroviral meningitis origin. Every fourth patient with the disease in the skin of the face, trunk and extremities also appears roseolous, papular rash or spotty, sometimes disappearing after a few hours.

Symptoms of meningitis in adults - meningeal symptoms

With further development of the disease to the above signs are joined meningeal symptoms. This is primarily a characteristic posture of the patient, he throws his head back, arches his body draws belly pressed to his chest and knees to the stomach. This position is the result of tension in the muscles of the body. For example, tilt the head of the patient is the result of rigidities (rigidity) of muscles neck. The patient can not tilt your head forward, chin to get his chest.

One of the early symptoms of meningitis - Kernig, which manifests the inability to straighten the leg at the knee joint, pre-bent at a right angle at the knee and hip joints.

Another symptom - a symptom of the upper Brudzinskogo manifested in involuntary flexion of the legs in the knee joints in response to the attempt to bring the head to the chest in the supine position. There are also a symptom of the lower Brudzinskogo, it is checked at the same time a symptom Kernig: when you try to straighten the leg at the knee joint second leg bent at the knee and lead to stomach.

Symptom Guillain similar symptom Brudzinskogo lower: while squeezing the quadriceps on the front surface of one leg the other leg bent at the knee and lead to stomach.

Most patients with meningitis is found positive zygomatic symptom spondylitis: when tapped with your finger on the zygomatic arch intensified headache and occurs spontaneously painful grimace on the corresponding half of the face

For meningeal syndrome also tend to stress the long muscles of the back, which manifests itself in the form of a number of characteristic symptoms:

• Meitus symptoms: lying on his back to the patient record to straighten his legs at the knees, right hand and left hand supporting the back, helping him to sit down; meningeal syndrome with the patient's back and straighten his legs in a sitting position form an obtuse angle: the patient can not sit up straight at the legs bent open;
• Fanconi symptoms: the patient can not sit up in bed alone when bent open and fixed legs at the knees;
• symptom "tripod": the patient can sit up in bed, only his hands behind his back;
• symptom "kiss the knee": the patient is not in a position even when bent at the hip joints of the lower extremities to touch his lips to the knee.

If it affects the membranes of the spinal cord appear characteristic radikulitnye pain along the spinal nerves, and the propagation process on the substance of the spinal cord appear paresis and dysfunction of the pelvic organs - the patient has a urinary feces and urine.

Symptoms of meningitis - cerebral symptoms

Increased intracranial pressure and intoxication leads to the development of brain symptoms - convulsions and disorders of consciousness. Disorders of consciousness and mental disorders usually appear in the second or fourth day of the disease. But they can also appear in the first hours of the disease. Perhaps the excitement, delirium, hallucinations (delirium) or, on the contrary, lethargy, immobility (stupor) - a condition that can move quickly into a coma. Against this background, can develop general or focal (individual muscle groups) seizures.

The most pronounced mental disorders observed in purulent and tuberculous meningitis. Hydromeningitis Meningitis - an inflammation of the meninges   in mumps often accompanied by severe drowsiness, lethargy without distinct phenomena dizziness.

Some patients who underwent a psychosis at the exit from the state of dizziness may occur transient states: depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood , Memory impairment that may last from a week to three months.

Symptoms of meningitis - neurological symptoms

Meningitis in adults is almost always accompanied by symptoms of focal lesions of the nervous system. Symptoms of focal lesions of the nervous system in meningitis are fickle and talk about the transition of the inflammatory process in the brain tissue or the roots of cranial and spinal nerves. So, paralysis and paresis may occur in meningitis due to brain damage, at least - with the defeat of the spinal cord.

These symptoms in different types of meningitis appear at different times. Thus, in meningococcal meningitis Meningococcal meningitis - a manifestation of generalized infection   they appear in a few days (or may not appear at all), whereas in pneumococcal meningitis Pneumococcal meningitis - the most severe form of meningitis   appear at the same to the first - the second day.

Often it celebrated the defeat of the cranial nerves, especially facial and oculomotor, which manifests itself in the form of facial asymmetry and strabismus. Perhaps the emergence of paresis and paralysis of any location.

Swelling of the brain can cause a disruption of the vital organs. So, medulla edema can occur dysfunction of the respiratory and circulatory - in this area are the cardio-vascular and respiratory centers. Also here are the nucleus of cranial nerves that regulate processes of swallowing and speech. If they defeat the patient constantly poperhivaetsya or completely ceases to swallow food. His speech becomes slurred.

Symptoms of meningitis complications

One of the complications of meningococcal meningitis is an infectious-toxic shock in violation of blood circulation in the capillaries. At the same time the patient's condition deteriorates, there is vomiting, sometimes with blood, blood pressure decreases, pulse is frequent, subtle, he soon ceases to be palpable. Enhanced blueness of the skin. First, on the limbs, and then on the body appear bluish-purple spots, increases dyspnea, patients periodically fall into fainting. Sometimes there is a motor excitation, which goes into convulsions, lethargy and then progressing to loss of consciousness.

If in this state the patient had no immediate medical care, he will die.

Symptoms of meningitis need to know everyone to time to see a doctor.