Characteristic symptoms of viral meningitis

1 The first signs of the disease

Symptoms of the disease can manifest themselves in different ways. Much depends on what kind of virus was triggered by meningitis, what state of the organism was at the time of infection and other indicators.

Once the pathogen has penetrated the brain tissue, it may take several days before the first signs of pathology appear. Typically, the incubation period is from 2 to 4 days.

It is important to diagnose viral meningitis in time, its symptoms are similar to a common cold. In addition to a runny nose, coughing and fever, diarrhea can be observed if the causative agent is an enterovirus from the ECOHO group or Coxsackie.

When Epstein-Barr cytomegalovirus is affected by the body, except for discomfort in the throat, weakness and general symptoms of malaise, a rash appears on the body. It is a bubble that is filled with light content.

In infants, the disease can manifest itself as a bulging or strain fontanel.

Viral meningitis may appear as a complication of other diseases, such as:

• influenza;
• rubella;
• chicken pox;
• measles;
• mumps;
• ARVI.

When the cause of the pathological process is one of the aforementioned diseases, the patient has the symptoms of the underlying disease.

It is possible to suspect a pathology by the position in which the patient is in a pose. As a rule, the most optimal posture in which patients with meningitis feel more comfortable: lying on their side, legs bent at the knees and pinned to the chest, and the head is thrown back.

In medical practice, cases were recorded where the disease was asymptomatic. Under such circumstances, only changes in the cerebrospinal fluid are noted in patients.

2 General symptomatology

According to medical statistics, meningitis is most often diagnosed in children, but adults can also face this problem. Symptomatic disease at any age is the same.

Some time after the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease the patient's condition continues to deteriorate. Additionally, a headache is added, which is aggravated. It can be localized in any part of the head, but, according to the doctors' observations, the pain syndrome predominates in the temporal and frontal areas. Pain is aggravated by changing the position of the body or at the time the head turns. Irritation can also be a loud sound.

When viral meningitis, when the headache reaches its peak, patients often try to get rid of it with the help of analgesic agents, but their use is ineffective.

The patient begins to complain of sudden attacks of nausea, which often result in vomiting. This symptom is not associated with eating. When viral meningitis begins to develop photophobia, can double in the eyes. Increases the sensitivity of the skin.

During illness the patient prefers not to get out of bed, as such actions significantly worsen the state of health. The patient refuses to eat.

Another characteristic symptom of the pathology is the tilting of the head back. Stiffness of the cervical extensor group of muscles, which leads to the appearance of pain at the moment of turning the head, indicates that the body is struck by meningitis. Other symptoms:

1. The upper symptom of Brudzinsky. When the head is tilted forward, the patient automatically flexes his legs.
2. The lower symptom of Brudzinsky. If both legs bend at a right angle, and then one to return to the initial position, then there will be a simultaneous extension of the second lower limb.
3. Kerning syndrome. The appearance of difficulties in the extension of the leg, which was bent at an angle of 90˚.

It is possible to suspect viral meningitis if the patient begins to have seizures with a slight increase in body temperature.

As the pathology progresses, the patient's behavior changes completely. The duration of sleep significantly exceeds the norm, in addition to wake up the patient, you need to make great efforts. The consciousness of the patient with meningitis also changes. He is often disoriented and easily excitable. Some compare the patient's behavior to how a person behaves under the influence of a large amount of alcohol.

Viral meningitis of a herpetic nature is especially dangerous. In addition to general symptoms and confused consciousness, the patient has convulsions. They have the property of repeating often. In addition, during an attack, muscle contraction is observed in all limbs, and the patient may experience difficulty breathing. These symptoms of the disease are very dangerous, since they can lead to death if timely not to provide resuscitative care.

3 Prognosis of treatment

To establish a pathology is rather difficult. This requires a lumbar puncture. This procedure involves taking a study of cerebrospinal fluid. In the herpetic form of pathology, the time of diagnosis can be accelerated to 3 days, since PCR analysis( polymerase chain reaction) is used to establish the cause of the disease.

With timely access to a doctor, the chances of a favorable outcome are large enough. Since the beginning of proper treatment, the patient's condition is rapidly beginning to improve. After about 4-5 days the patient's temperature returns to normal. All the symptoms begin to disappear gradually. As a rule, a complete recovery of the body occurs on the 10-14 day of therapy, if all the recommendations of the doctor are clearly implemented.

The viral form of the disease is not considered particularly dangerous for others. With close contact with the patient, the probability of getting meningitis is approximately 2%.