Know the Symptoms of Meningitis...

 

Flu, fever or deadly disease - Would you know how to spot meningitis in different age groups?

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Symptoms of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are quite difficult to spot as they are very similar to those of flu, and vary between age groups.

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The symptoms may develop over one or two days, but in some cases it could be in a in a matter of hours. The incubation period is between two and ten days.

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Early Warning Signs:

Brand-new research has identified a number of early symptoms for meningococcal disease - the bacterial form of meningitis - in children that could substantially speed up diagnosis. These include:

• Leg pain

• Cold hands and feet

• Abnormal skin colour

• However, if you can't identify these early signs then we advise people to look out for the 'classic' symptoms of the disease:

•  Fever and high temperature

• Bad headache

• Stiff neck

• Severe aversion to bright lights

• Vomiting and sometimes diarrhea

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Symptoms do not appear in any particular order and some may not appear at all. It is important to remember that different symptoms may occur in different people.

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And remember: adults are not immune.

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Symptoms in Babies:

• High temperature, fever, possibly with cold hands and feet

• Vomiting, or refusing feeds

• High pitched moaning, whimpering cry

• Blank, staring expression

• Pale, blotchy complexion

• Baby may be floppy, may dislike being handled, be fretful

• Fontanelle (soft spot on their head) may be tense or bulging

• Difficult to wake or lethargic

• Symptoms in children and adults

• High temperature, fever, possibly with cold hands and feet

• Vomiting, sometimes diarrhoea

• Severe headache

• Neck stiffness (unable to touch the chin to the chest)

• Joint or muscle pains, sometimes stomach cramps with septicaemia

• Dislike of bright lights

• Drowsiness

• Fitting

• Patient may be confused or disoriented

• Both adults and children may have a rash