- Treatment for viral meningitis
- Symptoms of viral meningitis
- Sequelae of viral meningitis
- Transmission of viral meningitis
Viral meningitis is a serious disease that causes symptoms such as severe headache, fever and stiff neck, due to inflammation of the meninges, which are the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Viral meningitis is usually curable and easier to treat than bacterial meningitis, with only analgesic and antipyretic drugs needed to relieve symptoms.
Viral meningitis can be transmitted from one person to another and, therefore, it is important to adopt preventive measures, such as washing hands and avoiding close contact with patients, especially during the summer, which is when the disease is most frequent.
Viruses that can cause viral meningitis are enteroviruses such as echo, coxsackie and poliovirus, arboviruses, mumps virus, herpes simplex, herpes type 6, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, chickenpox, measles, rubella, parvovirus, rotavirus, smallpox, HIV 1 virus and some viruses that affect respiratory function and that may be present in the nasal region.
If you want to know more information about bacterial meningitis, the most serious form of the disease see here.
Treatment for viral meningitis
Treatment for viral meningitis lasts about 7 days and should be done in isolation at the hospital by a neurologist, in the case of the adult, or by a pediatrician, in the case of the child.
There is no specific antiviral for viral meningitis and, therefore, analgesics and antipyretics, such as Paracetamol, and serum injections are used to relieve symptoms and hydrate the patient until the virus is eliminated from the body.
However, if meningitis is caused by the Herpes Zoster virus, antivirals such as Acyclovir can be used to help the immune system eliminate the virus. In this case, the disease is called herpetic meningitis.
In the most severe cases, brain surgery may be necessary to improve the condition. However, in some people there can be complications that can lead to coma and brain death, but this is a rare complication of the disease.
Find out how the treatment is done at home, signs of improvement, worsening and complications of the disease.
Symptoms of viral meningitis
The symptoms of viral meningitis are mainly stiff neck and fever above 38ºC, however other signs include:
- Severe headache; Nausea and vomiting; Hypersensitivity to light; Irritability; Difficulty waking up; Decreased appetite.
Typically, symptoms of viral meningitis last 7 to 10 days until the virus is cleared from the patient's body. Find out more about the signs of viral meningitis at: Symptoms of viral meningitis.
The diagnosis of viral meningitis must be made by a neurologist through a blood test or lumbar puncture. See other tests that may be needed.
Sequelae of viral meningitis
The sequelae of viral meningitis can include memory loss, decreased ability to concentrate or neurological problems, especially in patients who suffered from viral meningitis before the first year of life.
However, the sequelae of viral meningitis are rare, arising mainly when treatment is not started quickly or is not done properly.
Transmission of viral meningitis
Transmission of viral meningitis can happen through close contact with the infected person and it is therefore important that if they are treated at home, there are no close contacts. See everything you can do to protect yourself from viral meningitis.
