Meningitis is a frightening disease. It can kill in hours and does not discriminate - it can affect anyone at any time of life.
People who do recover may be left with permanent disabilities and after effects such as brain damage and loss of sight or hearing.
WHAT IS MENINGITIS?
Simply put, it's the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord - a membrane called the meninges. Septicaemia is the blood poisoning form of the disease.
TYPES OF MENINGITIS
Meningitis is caused by infection - usually either bacterial or viral, although occasionally it can be fungal. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious and is the type Nicholas suffered from.
Viral Meningitis can be very unpleasant, but is almost never life-threatening and most people make a full recovery. In Mary's diagnosis she was believed to have viral meningitis, which developed into more serious and unusual viral encephalitis. For more info on viral encephalitis, visit www.encephalitis.info
MENINGITIS IN BABIES
New born children are at higher risk of getting meningitis and septicaemia simply because they do not have fully developed immune systems.
Group B Streptococcal (GBS) bacteria is the main cause of meningitis in new born babies and can cause pneumonia as well as meningitis and septicaemia. However, 90 per cent of children survive, half of them with no significant after-effects. The bacteria itself is not rare - in fact it's carried by 30 per cent of pregnant women.
AFTER EFFECTS
These diseases can cause a wide range of disabilities and problems that can alter people's lives. The after effects can be either permanent or temporary and both physical or emotional.
• Deafness/hearing problems/tinnitus/dizziness, loss of balance
• Speech problems
• Weakness, paralysis or spasms of part of body (if permanent,
sometimes called cerebral palsy)
• Epilepsy/seizures (fits)
• Learning difficulties (ranging from temporary learning deficiencies to long term mental impairment)
• Memory loss/difficulty retaining information/lack of concentration
• Clumsiness/co-ordination problems
• Residual headaches
• Loss of sight/changes in sight |
