Meningitis is inflammation and swelling in the tissues that surround the brain and spinal cord. As this eMedTV article explains, it is often caused by a viral or bacterial infection. This Web page discusses meningitis causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Viral meningitis is a serious but rarely fatal form of meningitis. As this eMedTV page explains, it's a lot like bacterial meningitis, except it's caused by a virus and it has no specific treatment. This page provides an overview of viral meningitis.
A serious condition that may result in brain damage, bacterial meningitis is considered a medical emergency. This eMedTV Web page offers an in-depth look at bacterial meningitis and its causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.
Until recently, Hib disease was a cause of serious (often deadly) infections in children under age five. This eMedTV resource tells you what you need to know about this disease, including information on its symptoms, transmission, and prevention.
As this eMedTV article explains, symptoms of meningitis (such as headache, stiff neck, and high fever) can develop over several hours, or they may take 1 to 2 days. This Web page provides information on these and other symptoms of the condition.
A meningitis diagnosis is based on the patient's symptoms, physical exam, and test results. This eMedTV article discusses meningitis diagnosis in detail and describes important imaging procedures (such as an MRI) that are used to diagnose meningitis.
As this eMedTV page explains, treating meningitis can involve IV antibiotics, bed rest, and IV antifungal medications (the choice of treatment depends on the type of meningitis a person has). This page gives an overview of how this condition is treated.
Many types of vaccines for meningitis can protect against different forms of the disease. This article from the eMedTV archives describes these vaccines in detail and provides in-depth information on who should get them and when.
Meningitis research is focused on many topics, including inflammation and the central nervous system. This eMedTV article discusses this research in detail and describes other areas of meningitis research, such as new treatment options.
Spinal meningitis is inflammation and swelling within the lining of the brain and spinal cord. As this eMedTV article explains, it is most often caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Symptoms, transmission, and treatment methods are also described.
The most common causes of spinal meningitis are bacterial or viral infections. This eMedTV article offers an in-depth look at these and other causes of spinal meningitis, such as fungal infections, certain types of cancer, and traumatic head injury.
