Symptoms and Complications
People with bacterial meningitis quickly become very sick, usually within hours, and shouldn't wait to get medical treatment. For people with non-bacterial meningitis (e.g., viral, chemical), the symptoms usually follow flu-like symptoms and include fever and headaches. Symptoms develop more slowly and are not as severe.
Symptoms of meningitis can include:
- high fever over 102°F (39°C)
- stiff and sore neck, especially when it's moved, turned, or bent (the discomfort is caused by inflammation of the meninges) - this may not occur in people whose immune systems are not functioning properly, such as:
- people taking corticosteroids
- people with AIDS
- people taking cancer or transplant medications
- seniors
- children less than 24 months of age and especially those less than 6 months of age
- severe headache due to extra pressure in the head - look for signs of fussiness and irritability in children too young to complain of a headache
If blood vessels in the brain become inflamed, the brain won't get enough oxygen. This can make a person drowsy and less responsive, and in extreme situations they can fall into a coma. Lack of oxygen to the brain can also cause seizures.
Inflammation results in increased pressure on the brain, which sometimes causes vomiting. You might also notice a rash that resembles clusters of tiny red or purple pinpricks. When you press on the spots, they won't turn white, as skin normally does. The skin itself can develop cyanosis, a bluish tinge caused by a lack of oxygen. Not all symptoms of meningitis appear at once, however, and they may be less obvious for seniors.
Symptoms for very young children can include:
- fever, with cold hands and feet
- vomiting
- not eating
- difficulty waking up
- high-pitched moaning or crying
- arching their backs and pulling at their necks
- not settling down or taking comfort when held
- having a vacant expression
- showing a pale, mottled complexion
- rash (red or purple pinpricks)
Long-term complications can occur and last long after the infection has been treated. These include deafness, mental impairment, paralysis, and sometimes seizures that require lifelong treatment.