The Basics Of Aseptic Meningitis

What is meningitis? — Men­ingitis is a condition that can cause a fever, headache, and stiff neck. Meningitis happens when the lin­ing that covers the brain and spi­nal cord (called the “meninges”) gets inflamed or infected.

An infection of the meninges can cause meningitis. This can happen after a person gets an in­fection in another part of the body. The germs can travel through the blood to the lining of the brain and spinal cord.

There are 2 main types of men­ingitis:

¡Bacterial meningitis

¡Aseptic meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is caused by bacteria. Aseptic meningitis is not. It’s important for healthcare providers to find out which kind of meningitis a person has, because bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency. It can lead to brain problems or even death.

Aseptic meningitis is serious, but not usually as serious as bac­terial meningitis. People usually recover from aseptic meningitis without any long-term problems.

Both aseptic and bacterial meningitis can have the same symptoms. So, the only way healthcare providers can know for sure which type of meningitis someone has is to do tests in the hospital.

This article discusses aseptic meningitis.

What causes aseptic men­ingitis? — Viruses cause most cases of aseptic meningitis. But other things can also cause aseptic meningitis, including:

¡Germs that are not bacteria or viruses

¡Medicines – Aseptic menin­gitis can be a rare side effect of certain medicines.

Also, people who have ad­vanced cancer can get aseptic meningitis if their cancer spreads to their meninges.

What are the symptoms of aseptic meningitis? — Common symptoms include:

¡Fever

¡Headache

¡Nausea or vomiting

¡Stiff neck – This is most often seen in children and adults. Babies might not get a stiff neck.

¡Having light bother a person’s eyes

Babies can also have other symptoms, including:

¡Not feeding well

Being more sleepy or fussy than usual

¡A bulging soft spot on the skull

People can have other symp­toms, too, depending on what’s causing the infection. For exam­ple, people whose aseptic menin­gitis is caused by a virus can also have a rash, diarrhea, runny nose, or sore throat. A rash can also hap­pen with bacterial meningitis.

Should I see a healthcare provider? — Yes. If you have a fever, headache, and stiff neck, go to the emergency room right away. If you think your child has meningitis, bring him or her to the emergency room right away.

It’s very important to go to the hospital if you think you or your child has meningitis. That’s be­cause the only way a healthcare provider can tell for sure that someone has aseptic meningitis — and not life-threatening bacte­rial meningitis — is to do tests in the hospital.

Will I need tests? — Yes. The healthcare provider will learn about your symptoms and do an exam. He or she will do tests to look for the cause of your menin­gitis. These tests can include 1 or more of the following:

¡Blood tests

¡A lumbar puncture (some­times called a “spinal tap”) – During this procedure, a doctor puts a thin needle into your lower back and takes out a small amount of spinal fluid. Spinal fluid is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. He or she will do lab tests on the spinal fluid.

¡A CT scan of the brain – This is an imaging test that creates pic­tures of the brain.

¡Other tests – For example, the doctor can use a cotton swab to col­lect a sample from the back of the throat. Then he or she can do lab tests on the sample.

How is aseptic meningitis treated? — Treatment for aseptic meningitis usually includes:

¡Resting

¡Drinking fluids or getting flu­ids into your vein through a tube called an “IV”

¡Taking an over-the-counter medicine to treat a fever or head­ache

Aseptic meningitis is NOT treated with antibiotic medicines. That’s because antibiotics only treat infections caused by bacteria.

What care is needed at home?

Ask your healthcare providers what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask ques­tions if you do not understand what the healthcare provider says. This way you will know what you need to do.

Stay away from those who are sick with colds and flu. Stay away from crowded places.

Get lots of rest. Sleep when you are feeling tired. Avoid doing tiring activities.

Keep your home clean. Use disinfectant to clean anything that you may touch or use often such as drawer handles, doorknobs, or remote controls.

Avoid smoking. Ask for help if you are having problems quitting.

Learn how to manage and cope with stress by deep breathing or listening to music. This may help you to heal.

What follow-up care is need­ed?

Your healthcare provider may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.

What drugs may be needed?

The healthcare provider may order drugs to:

Treat the virus

Lower fever

Help with pain

Help with nausea

Will physical activity be limited?

You may have to limit your ac­tivity. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you.

Ask your doctor about driving.

Talk to your doctor about when you may go back to work.

What can be done to prevent this health problem?

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 sec­onds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work to kill germs.

If you are sick, cover your mouth and nose with tissue when coughing or sneezing. You can also cough into your elbow. Throw away tissues in the trash and wash your hands after touch­ing used tissues.

Avoid mosquito bites.

Do not get close (kissing, hug­ging) to people who are sick.

Do not share towels or hankies with anyone who is sick.

Stay away from crowded plac­es.

Take vitamin C to help build up your body’s ability to fight disease.

Get a flu shot each year.

Ask your doctor about shots against meningitis.

When do I need to call the healthcare providers?

Signs of infection. These in­clude a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more spu­tum or change in color of sputum, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, or wound that will not heal.

Someone else in the family shows signs of meningitis like headache, stiff neck, light sensi­tivity, or rash

You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days, or you are feeling worse

Teach Back: Helping You Un­derstand

The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is sim­ple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to ex­plain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you can do these:

I can tell you about my condi­tion.

I can tell you ways to help pre­vent this infection.

I can tell you what I will do if someone else in my family has a headache, stiff neck, light sensi­tivity, or a rash.

MKO Abimbola holds a doctor­al degree in physician associate studies from the United States of America. He is a Harvard Medical School scholar. He spe­cializes in Internal medicine, Acute care, Emergency Med­icine, Geriatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgical services.