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Meningitis and Encephalitis
A guide for patients and carers
Download this booklet in PDF format (323kb)
Summary
• Encephalitis and meningitis are rare but serious infections of the brain or coverings of the brain.
• Watch out for the warning signs of high fever, headaches, neck stiffness, particularly if these are accompanied by rash, agitation, confusion or coma.
• If concerned contact your GP immediately.
• Early diagnosis and treatment will reduce the severity of the infection and the risk of complications from the infection.
• Viral meningitis is usually mild and recovery swift.
• Encephalitis and bacterial and fungal meningitis can be severe. Recovery may be slow but is usually complete unless there has been a complication of meningitis such as deafness, a stroke or severe memory damage.
• Epilepsy can continue even though the infection has been adequately treated.
• Where there has been close contact with someone with meningococcal meningitis, a course of antibiotics will be advised. You will be told if this is necessary by the hospital doctor or by a public health specialist, who will be kept informed of all suspected cases of meningococcal and pneumococcal meningitis.
• Watch out for the warning signs of high fever, headaches, neck stiffness, particularly if these are accompanied by rash, agitation, confusion or coma.
• If concerned contact your GP immediately.
• Early diagnosis and treatment will reduce the severity of the infection and the risk of complications from the infection.
• Viral meningitis is usually mild and recovery swift.
• Encephalitis and bacterial and fungal meningitis can be severe. Recovery may be slow but is usually complete unless there has been a complication of meningitis such as deafness, a stroke or severe memory damage.
• Epilepsy can continue even though the infection has been adequately treated.
• Where there has been close contact with someone with meningococcal meningitis, a course of antibiotics will be advised. You will be told if this is necessary by the hospital doctor or by a public health specialist, who will be kept informed of all suspected cases of meningococcal and pneumococcal meningitis.
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Contents
- Introduction
- What is meningitis?
- What is encephalitis?
- What are the symptoms?
- Tests used to diagnose meningitis and encaphilitis
- Other problems that can be confused with meningitis and encaphilitis
- Treatment of meningitis
- Treatment of encaphalitis
- How well do people respond to treatment?
- Other help available to patients and carers
- Getting back to normal
- Things to be avoided
- Some do's and don'ts
- Summary
- Other organisations that may be able to help
- Your feedback on Meningitis and Encephalitis
