Meningitis. The Symptoms

I have known of three people in my life that have unfortunately suffered the same illness with quite different outcomes. One of those people was a good friend, the other was more of an acquaintance, and the other was a friend of a friend.

Meningitis was the awful illness they had suffered and it is such an unforgiving illness, it doesn’t care who it strikes, or the mess it leaves you in, that’s if it leaves you alive at all. It can attack any age or sex, it knows no boundaries. Once it strikes it acts quickly and it also comes without warning, so urgent medical attention is essential.

There are many different causes of meningitis. The most common are viral and bacterial. Whatever type you have, if you suspect meningitis at all, seek medical attention immediately. Do not feel embarrassed feeling that you are going to be a bother if you have got it wrong. You wont. Any medical professional will tell you, they would rather you "waste their time" so to speak and be safe rather than sorry. Who cares? If in doubt, call the doctor or even better, head straight to your local Hospital or Emergency Department.

The first person I am going to tell you about is my friend. I met her about 20 years ago in 1991. She had two children the same age as mine, and by the time I was introduced to her she was already deaf. Yes, deaf because of the tragedy of meningitis. She was amazing because you just would never know it. She was like a hearing person. She couldn’t sign, she would read lips. She hadn’t long been deaf and she felt adamant she was never going to learn the sign language. She felt it would put her in the world of deaf people and she didn’t want that. She wanted to stay in the hearing world. When I introduced her to my son who was about five or six at the time, he didn’t believe me. He thought I was lying about her being deaf as she spoke and seemed to hear so well. The only way he could convince himself as a child was to call her name while he was out of her eyeshot. She didn’t acknowledge him.

She has never gone into great detail about her illness and I have never pushed for her to. She probably doesn’t want to re-live it. What I do know though is that she was 19 years old and that she had been very ill and hospitalised. She lost her hearing gradually towards the end of the illness. She told me that she was in fact on the phone when she first noticed it and remembers thinking that the phone line was cutting out.

She can speak sign language now. She gave in after all. I think life proved to tiring watching everyone’s lips. She seems happy. I don’t know if she feels she has now stepped over into the deaf world or not. The last time I saw her she lived in a nice house with a dog and she went on to have another child. All her children are grown up now with children of their own. But the tragedy of this ending is, no matter how well her life goes or how much money she may have, she still can not hear.

My next example that I want to talk about who suffered from this debilitating illness was an acquaintance. I didn’t know him before the illness, but I did go and visit him from time to time afterwards. I know the history of his experience a bit better than my friend.

He was out one evening with friends and he got a headache. We all get headaches; he thought nothing of it and went home to sleep it off. He lived alone, so as he was becoming more ill there was no one with him to detect it and as anyone who’s ever had the real “flu” or even just a high temperature would know, we don’t realise we’re getting worse if we're alone. He became very ill and as the evening went on septicaemia hit his brain. Eventually the neighbours did become aware and called the emergency services but by the time all this happened the illness had struck its blow. I first met him around 2002. He could only move his little finger nothing else, He couldn’t eat properly and couldn’t smile. How tragic. He can talk, but he can only say one word as he takes a breath. When he breaths out he then says the word. He can use the computer, watch TV and listen to music etc. I admire him greatly and feel that he is a very strong man enduring this for as many years as he has. He has no choice you may say, but he does. I will leave you to work that one out. I admire him for not taking that option.

The third person that I want to tell you about was a friend of a friend. He was about 19 years old when meningitis struck him down. He unfortunately lost his life.

We don’t have enough vaccines to prevent all types of meningitis so we need to know the signs and symptoms to look out for and the action to take.

In babies and toddlers these are the signs to look for Meningitis:

Fever

Cold hands and feet

Pale and blotchy skin

Refusal of food and drink

Not wanting to be touched or held (sore)

Fretful

Drowsy

Stiff neck

Dislike of bright light

Rapid breathing

Convulsions

In children and teenagers the signs to look for are the entire list above plus:

Confusion and irritability

Vomiting

Drowsy or difficult to wake

Severe headache

Lastly, adults; Again look for the entire lists above plus:

Severe muscle pain

If there is a rash that does not fade under the pressure of the glass being pressed on the skin that is a sign of meningococcal septicaemia and needs urgent medical attention.

I don’t want you to become too depressed reading this hub; as there are also many people who do get this terrible illness and then go on to make a good recovery. I just think it essential to be meningitis aware especially if you are a parent.

Copyright © 2011 Lesley Sherwood