Meningitis Research Paper

Words: 1462
Pages: 6

Meningitis is an infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The swelling that meningitis causes the signs or symptoms of headache, fever and a stiff neck. Most cases in the US are caused by a viral infection but it can be caused by bacteria or fungi. Depending on the cause, meningitis can be cured within a week or it can be life-threatening. In life-threatening cases urgent antibiotic treatment is required. Meningitis is caused by bacteria or viruses that live within our body. These germs stay mostly in the throat and nose where they cannot make us sick. But if they spread to the tissues, or meninges, that surround the brain and spinal cord then they can cause inflammation. The inflammation is known …show more content…
The most common being hearing loss. Over 30% of bacterial meningitis can cause hearing loss. There are two reasons on how meningitis can cause hearing loss. The death of nerve endings in the cochlea, and damage to the cochlea itself. Depending on the severity hearing aids or even cochlea implants could be required. “Even in this age of powerful antibiotics and sophisticated medical technology, meningitis is among the most feared of diseases. It has one of the lowest cure rates--and highest complication rates--of any disease we know.” (Zuger, A. (1994, March 1). Meningitis Mystery. Discovery.) In Zuger’s article she describes a situation where a woman was having recurring meningitis, but doctors couldn’t find the source where it was coming from. But after one of her med. students made a discovery about how a rare allergy to ibuprofen can cause meningitis, they decided to conduct a test. They gave the patient a dose of Advil and within hours she had showed symptoms of meningitis. After 12 hours of no antibiotics and bed rest, the patient was starting to show signs of