Meningitis – What Are the Causes, Symptoms, and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?

Symptoms of meningitis in adults and children are as follows [1]:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Stiffness in the neck
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Extreme lethargic feeling
• Altered mental state
• Appearance of rashes
• Lack of appetite
• Seizures
• Joint aches
• High fever
• Headache

Symptoms of meningitis in babies are as follows:

• Reduced eating
• Fever
• Bulging of the fontanelle or soft spots on baby’s head
• Feeling lethargic the entire day
• High-pitched cry
• Arching back
• Pale skin colour
• Difficult to wake

There are several causes that can lead to the development of meningitis in the human body.

The causes of meningitis are as follows [2]:

• Causes of Viral Meningitis: Non-polio enteroviruses, Measles, Herpes viruses, Influenza, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Arboviruses.
• Causes of Bacterial Meningitis: Streptococcus pneumonia, Neisseria meningitidis, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Group B Streptococcus.
• Causes of Parasitic Meningitis: Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Gnathostoma spinigerum, Baylisascaris procyonis.
• Causes of Amoebic Meningitis: Naegleria fowleri
• Causes of Fungal Meningitis: Coccidioides
• Causes of Non-infectious Meningitis: Head injuries, medicines like antibiotics and NSAIDs, diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus, and brain surgery. 

Based on these pathogens, there are different types of meningitis that can develop in the human body.

There are different types of meningitis based on the pathogen causing it. These types include [2]: 

• Viral Meningitis: There are different viruses that, on entering the body, result in the inflammation of the meninges, leading to meningitis. However, they are usually not too severe and resolve on their own. There are some vaccines as well that provide protection from meningitis. 

• Bacterial Meningitis: This type of meningitis is usually caused due to the invasion of a variety of meningitis-causing bacteria inside the human body. This type requires immediate medical treatment. Also, there are several vaccines available that can offer protection against such diseases. 
• Parasitic Meningitis: Several parasites can cause meningitis on entering the human body. Examples of these types of meningitis include such as eosinophilic meningitis or eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. However, this is less common when compared to bacterial and viral meningitis.
• Amoebic Meningitis: The free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri is responsible for the development of this type of meningitis. This form of meningitis is rare but highly devastating when compared to the other types. 
• Fungal Meningitis: This, too, is a rare type of meningitis which is more common for people with diseases like HIV, cancer or diabetes. Individuals can get this meningitis type if they inhale the spore of this disease-causing fungus.
• Non-infectious Meningitis: These are not contagious and are mainly caused due to cancer, head injury, different drugs, systemic lupus erythematosus, and so on. 
• Drug-induced Aseptic Meningitis: This type of meningitis is mainly caused due to different antibiotics and NSAIDs. 
• Chronic Meningitis: This refers to that meningitis that usually lasts beyond a month.
• Acute Meningitis: Meningitis that occurs suddenly and shows severe symptoms is usually referred to as acute meningitis. 

Hence, you should not delay in doctor consultation and treatment once you are sure about its occurrence and type.

Once you are diagnosed with meningitis, it becomes imperative to visit a doctor for proper medication and treatment. Any delay in this can result in severe complications, like hearing and vision loss, seizures, weak limbs and even the development of epilepsy. 

However, prior to that, it becomes essential to confirm the development of meningitis by conducting some diagnostic tests as per the doctor’s suggestion. 

The different meningitis tests prescribed by doctors for its diagnosis are as follows [3]:

• Lumbar Puncture/Spinal Tap: In this type of diagnostic test, the laboratory technician will collect some cerebrospinal fluid from the lower back. Then they will test it to check the presence of meningitis-causing pathogens in it.
• Nasal or Throat Swab: The pathologist will take a swab from your nose and throat and test it to check if it contains pathogens that can result in meningitis. 
• Stool Sample: At times, doctors also recommend a stool test to check if it contains any substance that could have led to the development of meningitis. 
• CT Scan or MRI: These imaging tests are useful for getting a clear picture of the inside of the brain. Thus, they can quickly check for inflamed meninges in case a person is suffering from meningitis. 
• Blood Tests: Doctors usually suggest this test to determine the presence of pathogens that can lead to the development of meningitis. Once their presence is detected, the doctor can infer the occurrence of meningitis.

Once the test results are positive, you can consult your doctor to decide the appropriate prognosis for meningitis. 

If you consult a doctor at the right time and get the appropriate treatment at an early stage, there lies a high chance of getting fully recovered. During the treatment, you will have to stay at the hospital for some days. However, treatment might continue even after you come back home. 

Usually, viral meningitis gets resolved on its own. However, for bacterial meningitis, it is essential to get immediate treatment. For fungal meningitis, too, it might take a few weeks to months to get fully recovered. However, there can be some long-lasting effects even after the treatment of this disease. 

The different meningitis medications that doctors usually prescribe for treatment are as follows [3]:

• Corticosteroids: Doctors usually prescribe these medicines to minimise the inflammation in the meninges.
• Antibiotics: These are mainly prescribed if a patient is suffering from bacterial meningitis. 
• Antivirals: These medications are useful when meningitis occurs due to viral infections. 
• IV Fluids: These are useful to keep you hydrated while suffering from meningitis.
• Pain Relievers: Doctors prescribe these medicines so that the patients can get relief from the headaches that they go through while suffering from meningitis. 
• Antifungals: These drugs are useful in treating meningitis that is caused due to various fungal spores.

There are several precautionary measures you can undertake to keep from the development and complexity of this disease. 

Below are some precautionary measures that you can consider to prevent the development of meningitis [1]:

• Using Meningitis Vaccines: There are several vaccines available in the market that you can use against bacterial meningitis.
• Washing Hands Frequently: You should wash your hands frequently so that no meningitis-causing bacteria or virus enters your body. 
• Covering Mouth While Sneezing: You should cover your mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing such that the pathogen does not get transmitted. 
• Avoid Using Contaminated Water: Contaminated water can contain a virus, bacteria, and even amoeba that can cause meningitis. Hence, you should avoid drinking or swimming in contaminated water.
• Preparing Food by Undertaking Precautions: You must maintain the utmost safety while preparing food to avoid any type of pathogen contamination.
• Disinfecting Touched Surfaces: This is another precaution that you should undertake to ensure that your home is free from pathogens that can cause severe disease.
• Avoiding Contact With Meningitis Patients: Since the disease is transmissible, it would be prudent to maintain distance from patients suffering from meningitis. 
• Wearing a Mask in Dusty Regions: There are high chances of the presence of fungal spores in dusty areas. Hence you should wear a mask while passing through those regions so that you can keep fungal spores from entering your body and causing meningitis. 
• Following a Strict Diet When Pregnant: If you are pregnant, you must ensure to maintain a healthy diet such that you do not get infected with meningitis. This also reduces the transmission of this pathogen to your baby, which can infect them too.
• Minimising the Risks of Bug Bites: Bug bites can transmit meningitis-causing pathogens from an infected patient to a healthy person. Hence, it would be best to stay safe from them using creams and repellents. 
• Lowering the Risk of Infection While Travelling: If you are travelling to a new place, you must ensure maximum precaution so that you can stay safe from infection. 

If you do not undertake these precautions, there are high chances of facing several complications of this disease. 

About one in five people continue to experience the effects of meningitis, even after getting cured. These usually include [4]:

• Frequent seizures
• Weakness in limbs
• Difficulties with speech and language, communication
• Problem in remembering things
• Development of epilepsy
• Hearing or vision loss
• Occurrence of arthritis
• Limb amputations after sepsis

So, to avoid these complications, it is vital to get proper treatment at the right time. For this, you should have an estimation of the cost of meningitis treatment.

The cost of meningitis treatment in India usually ranges between Rs.10,000 and Rs.20,000. However, it can vary predominantly due to different factors:

• Location of the Treatment: The cost of treatment varies prominently with the city in which you are conducting your treatment.
• Hospitalisation Charges: The additional charges associated with hospitals differ prominently from one another.
• Doctor Consultation Fees: Different doctors charge different consultation fees that are included in the total cost.
• Complications Associated: If there are some significant complications in meningitis, you might have to pay more for treatment.

Hence, it is essential that you go for purchasing life insurance that will offer you financial protection when you are suffering from this condition. 

It is highly essential to immediately go for treatment as soon as you are diagnosed with meningitis to stay safe from its severity. However, the fees of doctors, diagnosis and medicines can be costly, imposing a sudden financial burden on your family.

So, to keep yourself financially protected, purchase Navi Health Insurance today. Get access to unlimited online consultations and cashless claims at 10,000+ network hospitals with premiums starting at just Rs.234 per month. Get a quote now!