Meningitis & septicaemia

These infections can kill within hours.

Meningitis is inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Septicaemia is blood poisoning.

The two forms of the disease have dissimilar symptoms. People who recover from meningitis and septicaemia can be left with a variety of after effects that can change their lives.

Meningitis is usually bacterial or viral and occasionally is due to a fungal infection.

Viral meningitis can be extremely unpleasant, but it is almost never a life threatening illness, and most people quickly make a full recovery.
Bacterial meningitis is more dangerous and can be caused by a range of different bacteria.

Meningococcal bacteria can cause meningitis, septicaemia or both. Most people who get the disease have some symptoms of both infections; together these two forms of the disease are known as meningococcal disease.
Septicaemia is the more life threatening of the two illnesses and is more dangerous when there are no meningitis symptoms.

Other major forms of bacterial meningitis are:

• Pneumococcal
• Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib)

Bacterial forms that mostly affect newborn babies are:

• Group B Strepococcal
• E.Coli
• Listeria

There are immunisations available against some types of meningitis and septicaemia.

However; many other deadly forms of the diseases are not preventable with a vaccine.

People who have meningitis and septicaemia symptoms have to act fast to save a life. The sooner you receive medical help the better.

Meningitis and septicaemia can be hard to recognise, the symptoms can appear in any order, but usually the first symptoms are fever, vomiting, headache, and a general feeling of illness

The symptoms of septicaemia often appear earlier than meningitis symptoms such as; neck stiffness and dislike of bright lighting.

Septicaemia Symptoms:

• Fever and vomiting
• Muscle and joint pain
• Coldness of hands and feet
• Shivering
• Mottled pale skin
• Fast breathing or breathlessness
• Rash
• Difficult to wake/Sleepy
• Delirious

Meningitis Symptoms:

• Vomiting/Fever
• Headache/migraine
• Stiff neck (Less common in young children)
• Dislike of bright lights (Less common in young children)
• Difficult to wake/ sleepy
• Confused
• Seizures/fits
• Rash (not present in all cases)

Not everyone gets all these symptoms and Septicaemia can occur with or without meningitis.

Never take a chance when it comes to your baby’s health, if in doubt get baby checked out.

Filed under: Childrens Health • Health • Uncategorized

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