The symptoms meningitis are linked to the abnormal inflammation of the brain envelopes, the membranes called the meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid between two of the three meninges.

Symptoms of meningitis in newborns and babies

Cases can be difficult to detect, since babies do not have not always classic symptoms of bacterial meningitis:

• La fever,
• La stiff neck
• Headache (difficult to detect in a little one!): He cries a lot,
• Vomiting,
• The sleepiness,
• Convulsions,
• Red or blue spots on the skin.
• The constipation

Symptoms of meningitis in children 2 years of age and older, adolescents and adults

Meningitis usually presents with three typical signs to which may be added other signs that are less constant and depending on the cause of the meningitis. Here are the 3 signs of meningitis:

• A headache which is the fastest and most constant sign. They are intense, diffuse, violent and continuous with exacerbations. They prevent sleep, are increased by noise and light, as well as by movement. It is not relieved by pain medication and is often accompanied by pain in the spine and increased sensitivity of the skin. Thus, the sick person remains motionless in darkness and silence.
• Vomitings that appear early enough, but they are not systematic. These are so-called easy vomiting (without significant effort to vomit), classically in a jet, not related to meals and facilitated by changes in posture.
• A stiff neck. It is due to the involuntary contraction of the muscles of the neck which aims to prevent movement and calm the pain. This contracture can be painful and often manifests as a head a little back with a body in a gun dog posture. Lateral movements are possible, but they accentuate the headache.

Other signs can point to an infectious cause of meningitis:

• A fever of 30 ° or 40 ° which started gradually. But fever is not always present, especially since a drug may have been taken to lower the fever (paracetamol or acetaminophen for example).
• Sweats,
• Chills,
• Muscle pain
• Associated nasopharyngitis, or sinusitis or otitis,
• Skin rash

Signs of seriousness may appear and if this is the case, you must call the SAMU:

Un purpura who must call for emergency medical services if it is associated with signs of meningitis Disorders of consciousness (abnormal drowsiness), up to coma,

• Respiratory disorders,
• An epileptic seizure.