How to Reduce Meningitis Inflammation

Meningitis is an inflammation of your brain's membranes. It is caused by an infection. This inflammation causes swelling, leading to a severe headache. Other common symptoms of meningitis include a stiff neck, fever, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, loss of appetite, confusion, problems concentrating, seizures, problems waking up or drowsiness. Meningitis is a serious condition. If you suspect that you or your child may have it, see your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor can recommend the best course of treatment. As the infection is cleared up, the inflammation will decrease.

Things You'll Need

• Antibiotics
• Pain reliever
• Antiviral drugs
• Antifungal drugs

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify the type of meningitis. Meningitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Before you can begin treating the inflammation, you'll need to know which type of meningitis you have. Your doctor can diagnose your condition through a series of tests. These tests may include x-rays or CT scans, a throat culture, a spinal tap or a DNA test.

• 2

  Treat your condition promptly if it is bacterial meningitis. This is a severe form of the disease that requires antibiotics administered intravenously. If you are very sick, you may need to be hospitalized. Your doctor may also need to treat you for some of the complications of meningitis, such as shock, dehydration and convulsions.

• 3

  Comply with your doctor's recommendations to drain any fluid accumulation. With bacterial meningitis, fluid can often accumulate in the space between your brain and its membranes. Fluid may also buildup in your inner ear canal.

• 4

  Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated if you have viral meningitis. Viral meningitis cannot be treated with antibiotics. Fortunately, most of these cases are mild and you should be able to recover on your own. You can take a non-prescription pain reliever to alleviate your symptoms. You should feel better within about 10 days, according to the Mayo Clinic.

• 5

  Check yourself into the hospital if you have a severe case of viral meningitis. You may also need to be hospitalized if you have a weakened immune system. And if your viral meningitis was caused by the herpes virus, your doctor may administer antiviral drugs.

• 6

  Stay in the hospital for antifungal medications if you have fungal meningitis. These medications need to be administered intravenously. This course of treatment typically takes a long time to complete. The exact length of the treatment varies depending on which fungus caused the disease, as well as how strong your immune system is. If your immune system is suppressed due to diseases like AIDS or cancer, your treatment will likely take longer.