NHS UK
Symptoms of meningitis
Meningitis is a very serious illness but, if treated quickly, most children make a full recovery. Our symptom alert helps you to recognise the signs and includes a printable checklist
Fever
A fever is where you have a body temperature that is higher than usual. In general, in both adults and children, this is taken to be a temperature of 38?C (100.4?F) or over.
Other signs of fever include:
- your face is hot to touch
- you look red or flushed
It is only possible to distinguish between bacterial and viral meningitis by carrying out clinical tests. It is not possible to tell the difference from the symptoms alone.
Therefore, every case of suspected meningitis should be treated as a medical emergency
Meningitis should be treated as a medical emergency because bacterial meningitis can lead to septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can be fatal.
Bacterial meningitis
Bacterial meningitis is the more serious form of the condition. The symptoms usually begin suddenly and rapidly get worse. If you suspect a case of bacterial meningitis, you should phone 999 immediately to request an ambulance.
There are some early warning signs that you may notice before the other symptoms appear.
Early warning signs
Bacterial meningitis has a number of early warning signs that can occur earlier than the other symptoms. These are:
- pain in the muscles, joints or limbs, such as in the legs or hands
- unusually cold hands and feet, or shivering
- pale or blotchy skin and blue lips
Early symptoms
The early symptoms of bacterial meningitis are similar to those of many other conditions, and include:
- a severe headache
- fever (see box, left)
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting (being sick)
- feeling generally unwell
As the condition gets worse it may cause:
- drowsiness
- confusion
- seizures or fits
- being unable to tolerate bright lights (photophobia) ? this is less common in young children
- a stiff neck ? also less common in young children
- a rapid breathing rate
- a blotchy red rash that does not fade or change colour when you place a glass against it ? the rash is not always present
The symptoms of bacterial meningitis are different in babies and young children. Possible symptoms include:
- becoming floppy and unresponsive, or stiff with jerky movements
- becoming irritable and not wanting to be held
- unusual crying
- vomiting and refusing feeds
- pale and blotchy skin
- loss of appetite
- staring expression
- very sleepy with a reluctance to wake up
Viral meningitis
Most people with viral meningitis will have mild flu-like symptoms, such as:
- headaches
- fever (see box to the left)
- generally not feeling very well
- neck stiffness
- muscle or joint pain
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting (being sick)
- diarrhoea (passing loose, watery stools)
- photophobia (sensitivity to light)
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