What does spinal meningitis feel like

The darker the skin the harder it is to see a septicaemic rash so check lighter areas like the palms of hands and soles of feet or look inside the eyelids and the roof of the mouth. Remember, a very ill person needs medical help even if there are only a few spots, a rash or no rash at all. The MRF Membership and Support team are here for you for any questions you might have about meningitis and septicaemia and their effects on you, or your family and friends.

Symptoms Checker. Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours - know the symptoms. Severe headache. Pale or mottled skin. Rash anywhere on the body. Stiff neck less common in young children. Dislike of bright lights less common in young children. Seizures fits may also be seen. Meningitis Awareness Week Your doctor will conduct a full physical examination as the first step in looking for signs of meningitis. Then, your doctor will check your entire body for any unusual markings, signs, or lumps.

To take a bacterial culture , your doctor will take samples of your blood through a needle in a vein in your arm. The samples are set aside in small dishes known as petri dishes. Bacteria or other tiny organisms can grow and become more abundant in these dishes. After a certain period of time usually a few days , your doctor can look at the bacteria through a microscope and diagnose the specific bacteria causing an infection in the blood.

Your doctor can also put a sample on a microscope slide and stain it so that the bacteria are easier to see under a microscope. The results of this test may come back earlier than those from a culture. To do a blood test for signs of meningitis, a technician inserts a needle into a vein in your arm and draws out a sample of your blood to send to a lab for testing.

A complete blood count CBC or total protein count check for heightened levels of certain cells and proteins that can suggest a meningitis infection.

A procalcitonin blood test can also help your doctor tell if an infection is more likely caused by either bacteria or a virus. Blood tests may also be done at the same time as a spinal tap to compare the levels of cells, antibodies, and proteins and confirm the diagnosis. An imaging test, such as computerized tomography CT scan , allows your doctor to take detailed images of your head and chest to look for signs of brain and spine inflammation associated with meningitis and help confirm a diagnosis.

A CT scan, in addition to magnetic resonance imaging MRI and X-ray imaging tests, can also help your doctor notice other things that can cause severe symptoms of meningitis, such as:. These conditions may make it dangerous or impossible for your doctor to perform a spinal tap, so imaging tests are typically done before your doctor decides whether to do a spinal tap.

This is the only test that can truly diagnose meningitis. Then, your doctor sends your CSF to a lab for testing. Meningitis is often confirmed when your CSF fluid has:. A CSF test can also help your doctor figure out what type of bacteria or virus caused your meningitis.

Your doctor may also request a polymerase chain reaction PCR test. Rash is a late and very serious sign that tells you you've got the bacterial kind of meningitis. It appears when the bacteria release a toxin into your system that makes small blood vessels in your skin and internal organs rupture.

But it's unlikely that it would appear without other symptoms already in play. Weight Loss. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Ab Exercises for a Stronger Core. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. You feel like you have the flu. Your neck is stiff. This vaccine can also be given to children between the ages of 2 months and 10 years who are at high risk of bacterial meningitis or who have been exposed to someone with the disease. It's also used to vaccinate healthy but previously unvaccinated people who have been exposed in outbreaks.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Meningitis is an inflammation of the fluid and membranes meninges surrounding your brain and spinal cord. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Meningitis Open pop-up dialog box Close.

Meningitis Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the fluid and three membranes meninges protecting your brain and spinal cord. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Meningitis and encephalitis fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Accessed Sept.

Bacterial meningitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bartt R. Acute bacterial and viral meningitis. Continuum Lifelong Learning in Neurology. Viral meningitis. Fungal meningitis. Derber CJ, et al. Head and neck emergencies: Bacterial meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, upper airway obstruction, and jugular septic thrombophlebitis. Medical Clinics of North America. Longo DL, et al.