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Meningitis and Encephalitis
A guide for patients and carers
Things to be avoided
• Certain types of bacterial meningitis (e.g. meningococcal meningitis) may be infectious to others. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet and before eating, use a handkerchief when sneezing and coughing and don’t share cutlery, glasses or any other items that may involve contact with someone else’s saliva.
• If epilepsy occurs, driving will be banned until the fits have stopped for one year. Contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for advice (see Other organisations that may be able to help at the end of this booklet). If someone has had fits they shouldn’t swim unaccompanied or work at heights or with dangerous machinery. Epilepsy can also affect a person’s ability to do certain jobs.
• If epilepsy occurs, driving will be banned until the fits have stopped for one year. Contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for advice (see Other organisations that may be able to help at the end of this booklet). If someone has had fits they shouldn’t swim unaccompanied or work at heights or with dangerous machinery. Epilepsy can also affect a person’s ability to do certain jobs.
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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
