Serous meningitis: signs, diagnosis

Serous meningitis is an inflammatory process that develops on the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. This is displayed on the cerebrospinal fluid in such a way that an increased number of immunity cells appears in it. And if in the purulent process most of these cells will be represented by neutrophilic leukocytes, then serous meningitis (signs in the cerebrospinal fluid) is an increase in the cellular composition due to lymphocytes.

What causes this disease

The main cause of serous meningitis is viruses. They can get to a person in various ways. But one penetration into the body is small - serous meningitis (signs of it) appears in the event that either the human immunity can not provide sufficient resistance to the microbe, or the virus will be so aggressive that it can freely overcome its own defense of the brain.

Some types of serous meningitis are caused by bacteria (tubercle bacillus, leptospira, listeria), it can also be caused by fungi (cryptococci) or bacterial-like microbes (rickettsia). In this case, serous meningitis will be secondary, that is complication of the general disease.

Serous meningitis: signs

The disease usually begins with catarrhal phenomena: a runny nose, coughing, pain, or sore throat. Body temperature may increase. If serous meningitis is caused by enteroviruses, precede the symptoms of directly meningitis can:

- a rash of reddish color, which evenly covers the entire body, while grouping in the area of the forearms with brushes and legs with stops;

- pain and pain in the eyes with their sharp redness;

Severe sore throat ;

- a loose stool, which usually does not have any admixtures of blood and mucus, does not change color.

Symptoms of viral meningitis can appear against the background of herpes, wind or rash, or measles, rubella, and mumps that exist for several days, and the virus needs time to get to the protective brain barrier and pass through it.

Symptoms of meningitis proper include:

- temperature increase;

- a strong headache, which is difficult to remove, which increases with ascents, active movements of the head, bends; Can increase with nervous tension, when watching movies, reading or other loading on the visual analyzer;

- nausea and vomiting without diarrhea, but against a background of headache (less often - pain in the back);

- pain in the eyes when looking at the light source;

- unpleasant sensations if to make stronger pressure on a skin in any area of a body;

- the inability to bring the chin to the sternum in the prone position, when testing this symptom there is a drawing pain in the neck and back;

- convulsions of different severity;

- inadequacy;

- lethargy, drowsiness, apathy, which have the property of increasing.

Sometimes meningitis purulent and serous in clinical manifestations is difficult to distinguish. Only lumbar puncture, which is necessary for accurate diagnosis verification, can help in setting the right diagnosis and prescribing the right treatment.

What if you found serous meningitis (signs of it) in yourself or with a relative?

Be sure to call an ambulance, which will take you or a loved one to the hospital. Help with meningitis is only in the hospital, since it is deadly and at the same time unpredictable disease, and at home it is not treated.

The diagnosis is made only on the basis of the results of a lumbar puncture, which will be known within an hour and a half after admission to the hospital. This manipulation is very important. It will not only show whether there is meningitis or not, but it will also help to distinguish the purulent variant from serous, to assess the degree of its severity, on which the therapy directly depends. In addition, after puncture, it usually becomes easier, and a few drops of CSF, sent for bacteriological and serological examination, will help determine the type, type of pathogen, its sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs.

So, if you find signs of yourself or a close person that match the above, contact the hospital. No forums and online help (especially not a specialist) will not help you in diagnostics better than the specialist does.