If I Was Sick Got Better and Then Got Sick Again Do I Have Meningitis

Viral meningitis is inflammation of the layers of tissue that cover the encephalon and spinal cord (meninges) and of the fluid-filled space betwixt the meninges (subarachnoid space) when it is caused by viruses.

• Viral meningitis ordinarily begins with symptoms of a viral infection such equally fever, a general feeling of disease, headache, and musculus aches.

• Afterward, people develop a headache and a potent neck that makes lowering the chin to the chest difficult or incommunicable.

• Doctors doubtable viral meningitis based on symptoms and do a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to confirm the diagnosis.

• If people announced very ill, they are treated for bacterial meningitis until that diagnosis is ruled out.

• If the cause is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or a herpesvirus, drugs constructive against those viruses are used.

• For other viruses, no effective drugs are bachelor, but most people recover on their own within weeks.

The brain and spinal cord are covered past 3 layers of tissue chosen meninges. The subarachnoid infinite is located between the middle layer and the inner layer of the meninges, which cover the brain and spinal cord. Information technology contains the cerebrospinal fluid, which flows through the meninges, fills the spaces within the brain, and helps cushion the encephalon and spinal cord.

Tissues Covering the Encephalon

Within the skull, the encephalon is covered past three layers of tissue called the meninges.

The most common cause of viral meningitis is

Enteroviruses tend to reside in the digestive tract. Infections are very contagious.

Other common causes include

• Varicella-zoster virus

• Viruses spread by mosquitoes (called arboviruses Epidemic encephalitis ), such equally Westward Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and California encephalitis virus

• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

HSV-2 causes genital canker Canker Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections Herpes simplex virus infection causes recurring episodes of small, painful, fluid-filled blisters on the skin, mouth, lips (cold sores), eyes, or genitals. This very contagious viral infection... read more , a sexually transmitted infection that causes painful blisters in the genital area. HSV-2 can also cause symptoms of meningitis. HSV-2 meningitis commonly occurs when the virus starting time infects the body. Genital and meningitis symptoms can occur at the same time. Symptoms of meningitis may announced earlier the genital symptoms, and some people accept meningitis but exercise not have any genital symptoms. After symptoms disappear, HSV-2 remains in the body in a nonactive (dormant) state. That is, it does non cause symptoms. However, it can become active again (reactivate) periodically and cause symptoms. Thus, meningitis due to HSV-2 Viruses Recurrent meningitis is meningitis that occurs more one time. Meningitis is inflammation of the layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal string (meninges) and of the fluid-filled space... read more than tin can recur.

The varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox Chickenpox Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection with the varicella-zoster virus that causes a characteristic itchy rash, consisting of small, raised, blistered, or crusted spots. Chickenpox... read more . Similar HSV-2, the varicella-zoster virus remains in the torso in a nonactive state. The virus may never crusade symptoms again, or it may reactivate many years later on. When it reactivates, it causes shingles Shingles Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by a viral infection that results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox. What causes the virus to reactive... read more (herpes zoster) and may cause meningitis. Unlike HSV infections, which can recur many times, shingles normally occurs only one time in a person's lifetime. However, people with a weakened immune organization (such as people with HIV infection) may take shingles more than once.

Viral meningitis can be spread in several ways, depending on the virus:

• Spread through the bloodstream from an infection in another part of the torso (the about mutual way)

• Contact with contaminated stool, which may occur when infected people exercise not launder their hands after a bowel movement or when they swim in a public swimming pool (for enteroviruses)

• Sexual intercourse or other genital contact with an infected person (for HSV-2 and HIV)

• A bite of an insect, such every bit a mosquito (for Due west Nile virus, St. Louis virus, Zika virus, or Chikungunya virus)

• Spread through the air by inhaling the virus (for varicella-zoster virus)

• Contact with dust or food contaminated by the urine or stool of infected mice or pet hamsters (for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus)

• Use of infected needles to inject drugs (for HIV)

Because of the way they are spread, some viruses (such equally those spread by mosquitoes) cause meningitis only during certain seasons.

Viral meningitis usually begins with symptoms of a viral infection, such as fever, a general feeling of affliction (malaise), cough, musculus aches, vomiting, loss of ambition, and headache. However, occasionally, people have no symptoms at first.

Later, people take symptoms that suggest meningitis. That is, they typically have fever, headache, and a stiff cervix. Trying to lower the mentum to the chest causes pain and may be impossible. Moving the caput in other directions is not equally difficult.

Symptoms may resemble those of bacterial meningitis but are usually less severe and develop and progress more slowly.

• Spinal tap and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid

• Sometimes culture and testing of blood, other trunk fluids, or stool

Doctors suspect meningitis when people have a headache, fever, and strong neck. They and then try to make up one's mind whether meningitis is present and whether it is caused by bacteria (requiring immediate treatment) or a virus. Viral meningitis is more likely when the symptoms are less severe.

The sample of cerebrospinal fluid is sent to a laboratory to exist examined and analyzed. Sugar and poly peptide levels and the number and blazon of white blood cells in the fluid are determined. The fluid is cultured to check for bacteria and thus rule out or confirm bacterial meningitis. The fluid is not usually cultured for viruses because doing and so is technically difficult.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, which produces many copies of a gene, is used to place enteroviruses, herpesviruses (such every bit HSV and varicella-zoster), and some other viruses. Doctors likewise exam cerebrospinal fluid for the presence of antibodies to certain viruses. For case, detecting antibodies to W Nile virus in cerebrospinal fluid indicates infection with that virus.

Doctors sometimes besides take a sample of blood, nasal or pharynx secretions, or stool for culture, examination, and/or, if bachelor, PCR testing. HIV tin can be diagnosed based on the results of antibiotic tests and PCR. Levels of antibodies to other viruses are measured and sometimes remeasured a few weeks later. An increase in the level of antibodies to a detail virus indicates that the virus caused a recent infection and and so probably was the crusade of recent meningitis.

• Acyclovir (an antiviral drug) for canker simplex virus (HSV) or varicella-zoster infection

• Antiretroviral drugs for HIV infection

• Treatment of symptoms

After the cause is identified, doctors change drugs every bit needed.

If the cause is HSV or varicella-zoster infection, acyclovir is connected.

For about of the other viruses that normally crusade meningitis, at that place are no constructive drugs. However, if people have a normal allowed system, they nearly always recover from these infections on their own.

Symptoms are also treated. For example, acetaminophen, taken by oral cavity or suppository (inserted into the rectum), tin reduce fever. Pain relievers (analgesics), taken as needed, can help command headache.

Near people who have viral meningitis recover inside a few weeks. Occasionally, recovery tin accept months, every bit sometimes occurs when meningitis is caused by West Nile virus or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

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Source: https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/meningitis/viral-meningitis

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