What you need to know about Cerebrospainal Meningitis

Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)  is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, know collectively as the meninges.

Meningitis is often caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitides. Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the thin covering of the brain and spinal cord.

Generally, the germs that cause bacterial meningitis spread from one person to another. People spreading neisseria meningitis is by sharing respiratory or throat secretions (saliva or spit). This typically occurs during close (coughing or kissing)  or lengthy (living in the same household)  contact.

Now let's take a look at some symptoms of the CSM bacteria:
1. Sudden high fever;  one get a high fever all of a sudden without any record of sickness at a given period. This is a sign of you contracting the disease.

2. Stiff neck;  you find your neck stiff all of a sudden or over night without any work to cause that particular defect.

3. Severe headache that seems different than normal

4. Confusion or difficulty in concentrating

5. Seizure

6. Sensitivity to light and no appetite or thirst.

There are so many risk associated with this disease when it's not really addressed quickly with the right vaccines.
1. Skipping vaccines; this condition can affect you if you skipped most of your childhood vaccines and have not been well immunized for all this. The bacterial spread faster in kids below the age of 5 years and can affect you up to the age of 20 years.

2. Living in a community setting;  heat is one factor to look out for and since it thrive mostly in fluid it can move very fast in a slum like communities and seeing of our colleges and in our senior high schools at most risk.

3. Compromised immune system; person living with HIV or diabetes and other related immune sickness are at a high risk of contracting the bacterial since the compromises of their immune system fighting the bacterial will allow a free flow of the infection.

This is a health alert to all but not just few. No matter how careful we would want to be, we can't always be careful so we need to take precautions on how to live a healthy life. Let's spread the news of our health and take notice of the complication of the cerebrospinal meningitis;

1. Hearing loss
2. Memory difficulty
3. Learning disability
4. Brain damage
5. Seizures
6. Shock
7. Death

This is an awareness for the deadly disease that we can protect ourselves and families from. Let's take note that kids below the ages of 5 years stand the highest risk of being victims. Save lives and spread the news now.

ISAF Ghana.............. Making Excellence