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Does your child have meningitis? Know the danger signs

Spotting meningitis can be tricky, and it can be easy for your little one to develop it without you knowing. That’s because the early warning signs and symptoms are almost identical to the flu.

Don’t worry though. By getting to know the signs and symptoms, you can ensure your child gets the right treatment before it becomes serious. Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges; the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Meningitis is usually caused by bacteria or viruses, and sometimes by illness and certain medication. It spreads like colds and flu, when someone who’s infected touches, kisses, sneezes or coughs on you.

Common signs:

  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Drowsiness.
  • A small appetite.
  • Confusion and disorientation.
  • Sensitivity to bright light.
  • Fever.
  • Headache.
  • Neck stiffness.

More severe symptoms include coma and seizure.

Watch out for these signs in toddlers: 


A refusal to be fed, irritable when picked up, a fever, and a bulging soft spot on their head, and moaning and crying.

Preventing meningitis is the best way to work against it. Remember, not every child gets the same symptoms and they can appear in any order.

Make sure your little ones wash their hands often with soap and warm water. Encourage this, particularly after using the bathroom; when they’ve been around other kids, and when they’ve been in contact with a sick person. Teach them not to share food, utensils and drinks with anyone who is, or has recently been, sick.

If you suspect your child or anyone else has meningitis, you should:

  • Take them to your doctor immediately.
  • If you can’t get there right away, call a doctor and describe the symptoms.
  • Go to the nearest emergency room if your doctor isn’t available.

Treatment


If a doctor suspects your child has meningitis, he will do tests. A sample from the spinal cord is usually taken. This can show signs of inflammation and infection due to a virus or bacteria. Blood samples may also be taken to check for bacterial infections in the blood. Sometimes, imaging of the head is done to check for swelling and inflammation around the brain.

There are two kinds of meningitis, viral and bacterial. Depending on which kind your child has, he’ll be treated a certain way.

Bacterial


Severe bacterial meningitis is very serious and must be treated immediately with antibiotics. It helps reduce the risk of complications like brain swelling and seizures. The type of antibiotic depends on the type of bacteria that caused the infection. The sinus may be drained if there’s a build-up of mucus and infection.

In some cases, doctors may give an antibiotic to someone who’s been around an ill person with bacterial meningitis to prevent them from developing the disease themselves.

Viral meningitis


Unfortunately, antibiotics can’t be used for viral meningitis, but mild cases usually clear up on their own. It can be treated with bed rest, plenty of fluids and over-the-counter pain medication.

References:

What is the difference between viral and bacterial infections?

It’s important to understand the difference between a bacterial and viral infection. Even though both infections can cause similar symptoms, they are treated very differently.

Bacteria create bacterial infections and viruses create viral infections. Many bacterial and viral infections are contagious, which means they can spread from person to person. They can result in mild, moderate, or severe diseases.

Bacterial infections

Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that grow well in different types of environments. Not all bacteria are bad, and not all cause infections. Good bacteria live in your intestines and help to digest food. Disease-causing bacteria live outside of the body.

Infections caused by bacteria include:

  • Strep throat
  • Whooping cough
  • Some ear infections
  • Urinary tract infections (UTI)
  • Food poisoning
  • Skin infections

Viral infections

Viruses are small organisms that need living hosts like people, animals or plants to successfully multiply, or else they won’t survive. When a virus enters your body, it invades some of your cells and takes over the cell machinery. Viral infections can be minor, like the common cold, or could involve your nervous system, making you seriously ill.

Infections caused by a virus include:

  • Influenza
  • Common cold
  • Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
  • Chickenpox
  • Measles
  • Viral meningitis (an infection of the membranes (linings) that cover the brain and spinal)
  • HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus)

Bacterial or viral?

Most times it’s difficult to figure out if it’s a bacterium or a virus causing your symptoms. Your doctor may be able to diagnose your condition based on your medical history and your symptoms.

For your doctor to diagnose the cause of your condition, a sample of blood, mucus, urine, stool or skin may be taken. This will help determine whether an antibiotic may be helpful in treating your condition. Antibiotics are only effective in treating bacterial infections, they are powerless against viruses.

Treatment

Antibiotics are usually the prescribed treatment for bacterial infections and there are many types available. They all work to keep bacteria from growing and dividing again.

Treatment for viral infections typically focuses on relief of symptoms while your body works to clear the infection on its own. This can include things like:

  • Getting rest
  • Drinking enough fluids to prevent dehydration
  • Using over-the-counter pain medications to relieve pain and fever and decongestants to help with a runny or stuffy nose
  • Throat lozenges to help ease a sore throat

In some cases, your doctor may give you antiviral drugs, which is medication for treating viral infections rather than bacterial ones. These act by killing or preventing the growth of viruses. Not all virus infections have antiviral drugs that can treat them, and most of the virus infections just need to be cleared by your body’s immune system.

Prevent infections

Infections can be caused by either bacteria or viruses and spread in many of the same ways. Keep yourself from getting sick and spreading both bacterial and viral infections by:

  • Always washing your hands.
  • Getting vaccinated.
  • Not going out if you’re sick.
  • Practising safe sex.
  • Making sure that food is cooked thoroughly and all raw fruits or vegetables are washed before eating.
  • Protecting yourself against bug bites and using insect repellent if you’ll be in contact with insects like mosquitoes and ticks.

References:

Could you be suffering from SIBO?

SIBO refers to “small intestine bacterial overgrowth”. It is normal for bacteria to grow in certain parts of your gut and intestinal tract, but when these bacteria develop in the small intestine, symptoms appear.

Common symptoms include:

  • pain in the stomach after eating
  • cramps
  • diarrhoea
  • constipation
  • bloating
  • indigestion
  • gas
  • constantly feeling full.

Although SIBO isn’t very well understood, it may be caused when:

  • Your immune system malfunctions.
  • Your small bowel is abnormal.
  • When bacteria and food aren’t removed from the small intestine; usually when the muscular activity of the small intestine malfunctions. 

Is SIBO serious?

In most cases, SIBO is not a life-threatening condition. In serious cases, however, symptoms can become so severe that you could start to suffer from malnutrition. In these cases, symptoms may include fatigue, trouble breathing, unusual food cravings, constipation, weakness and pale skin.

Do you have SIBO?

If you have symptoms of SIBO, see your doctor immediately. To make a proper diagnosis, he will ask about your symptoms and medical history. You’ll also have a physical where your abdomen will be checked, and you may have to get your blood tested.

One of the most common tests for diagnosing SIBO is a breath test. During this test, while you are in a fasted state, you’ll be asked to breathe into a device before and after having a special drink. Excess bacteria in your small intestine create hydrogen and methane; gasses that can be analysed in your breath.

Treatment

The usual treatment for SIBO is a combination of lifestyle changes, specifically to your diet,  and antibiotics. Antibiotics help your body reduce the bacteria in the small intestine This helps, but it’s also important to treat the underlying issue that created the bacteria in the first place.

If SIBO comes from certain foods, a change in your diet may be the solution. Don’t make any changes without your doctor’s advice, though.

Take action:

  • Eat smaller meals rather than heavy portions to avoid having too much food in your stomach.
  • Eat a balanced diet with enough fruit and vegetables.
  • Avoid certain foods if you have an intolerance or allergy. For example, if you have celiac disease, don’t eat gluten products.
  • Eliminate sugars to ease your symptoms. These include fructose (simple sugars found in fruits, some vegetables and honey), lactose (found in dairy) and fructans (found in gluten products, some fruit and vegetables).

Good to know

After treatment, it’s possible to get SIBO again, so be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions and stick to your dietary changes.

References

All about antibiotics

This week I have been inundated with patients suffering from flu-like symptoms, and all wanting antibiotics to get them better quickly!!

Unfortunately, most of the time their symptoms are due to viral infections and I’ve sent them off to the pharmacy with a battery of medications, but no antibiotics. “How can you be so cruel?”, I hear you ask. Well let’s take a closer look at antibiotics before you judge me!  Continue reading “All about antibiotics”

Salmonella outbreak in Limpopo

The diarrhoea outbreak in Limpopo earlier this week that left 42 people hospitalised was probably caused by salmonella.

According to a Sapa correspondent, the outbreak was reported on Monday by the provincial diseases outbreak response team, and it’s believed the initial cause was contaminated food or water at Mokopane Lodge. A member of the response team confirmed that preliminary results on the food samples identified salmonella food poisoning, and the lodge has been placed under quarantine awaiting confirmation of the results.
Continue reading “Salmonella outbreak in Limpopo”