What happens when you have viral meningitis?
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The swelling from meningitis typically triggers signs and symptoms such as headache, fever and a stiff neck. Most cases of meningitis in the United States are caused by a viral infection, but bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections are other causes.
Treatment. In most cases, there is no specific treatment for viral meningitis. Most people who get mild viral meningitis usually recover completely in 7 to 10 days without treatment. Antiviral medicine may help people with meningitis caused by viruses such as herpesvirus and influenza.
Can you survive viral meningitis?
Meningitis facts Viral meningitis is rarely life-threatening, but can leave you with lifelong after-effects. All causes of meningitis are serious and need medical attention.
How long are you contagious with viral meningitis?
Viral meningitis can be contagious from 3 days after infection starts to about 10 days after symptoms develop. Bacterial meningitis is usually less contagious than viral meningitis. It’s generally contagious during the incubation period and an additional 7 to 14 days.
Fungal, parasitic and non-infectious meningitis are not contagious. Viral meningitis is contagious. It’s spread through direct contact with body fluids, including mucus, feces, and saliva. Droplets of infected fluid can be spread and shared with sneezing and coughing.
How contagious is meningitis? In short, most bacterial meningitis infections are mildly to moderately contagious person to person, while some viral meningitis are contagious but other types are not. Fungal, parasitic, and noninfectious causes of meningitis are not contagious from one person directly to another.
Where does the head hurt with meningitis?
Usually headache is the predominant symptom, but fever is also usually present and the neck is stiff. Bending the neck forward greatly aggravates the pain. The headache is generalized all over the head.
What is the prognosis for viral meningitis?
Prognosis of Viral meningitis: The prognosis for viral meningitis is usually excellent, with most cases resolving in 7-10 days.
Contagious. Viral meningitis can be spread from person-to-person contact or from the stools of an infected person. The virus can stay alive on the surface of an object that an infected person has sneezed on, touched or coughed on for several days, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
How does meningitis kill you?
Meningitis is a potentially life-threatening infection of the meninges, the tough layer of tissue that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. If not treated, meningitis can lead to brain swelling and cause permanent disability, coma, and even death.
How does viral meningitis attack and spread?
Viral meningitis is the most common type, but it’s not usually life-threatening. The enteroviruses that cause meningitis can spread through direct contact with saliva, nasal mucus, or feces. They easily spread through coughing and sneezing.
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