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Bacterial meningitis is a membrane infection, particularly the membranes that are located around your spinal cord and your brain. Meningitis comes in different forms namely: viral, parasitic, aseptic, and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis is the most rare, and is the most life threatening out of all of them. If not treated immediately, this meningitis will paralyze you or cause a stroke by restricting blood flow to your brain. If the doctor tells you that you have viral meningitis, you do not have to worry since it is hardly debilitating compared to bacterial meningitis.

What Causes Bacterial Meningitis
You come in contact with bacteria that cause meningitis every single day. In fact, it can survive in your respiratory system for quite a while. Unfortunately, when the immune system is weak, these bacteria can travel from your respiratory system to cerebrospinal fluid, and wreak havoc to your system. People who have chronic ear and nose infections and are known to abuse alcohol are more susceptible. Having recent brain and spinal surgery can give you a higher statistical chance of contracting it, too. The three main causes of this kind of meningitis are the following: haemophilus influenzae type b, neisseria meningitidis, and streptococcus pneumoniae.

Signs and Symptoms
One of the first warning signs of bacterial meningitis is a stiff neck. Fever, headaches, sensitivity to light, and general drowsiness will also present. Other people may also experience a stroke or a seizure when the meninges swell. If this is not treated immediately, bacterial meningitis can lead to death. Aside having death as a possibility, you may also experience brain impairment, visual problems, and hearing loss.

Treatment Plan
The treatment for bacterial meningitis is an intravenous dose of antibiotics. Before the person is treated, a lumbar puncture is required to find out the type of bacteria that is currently attacking the patient. Additionally, your physician may also request you to get imaging, lab, and electroencephalogram tests. When the antibiotics are administered, you will also be given some corticosteroids, which will push the brain swelling down and keep you from losing your hearing. It is better that you catch bacterial meningitis early. When treated properly, the chances of a person dying goes down by 15 percent.

Prevention
The best way to prevent bacterial meningitis is getting immunized against particular strains of bacteria when you are still a child. Meningitis is not as infectious as the common cold or the flu, but they are easily transmittable among people who kiss and come in contact with each other’s oral secretions. Boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, nurses, caregivers, nannies, and parents are all susceptible to bacterial meningitis especially if they live in the same household as the infected person. A quick way to prevent meningitis or just about any disease is to keep yourself healthy.

By now, you should have a clearer idea about about bacterial meningitis–how it starts, how it can be treated, and how it can be prevented. Those who take great pains to take care of themselves and their body will most likely make it to old age without ever contracting bacterial meningitis. Check more info for more info about exercises, eats healthy, and drink plenty of water to keep your immune system up to decrease your chances of ever getting it.

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