A scary night here last night

The boys have been passing a cold back and forth, to be expected this time of year, and especially with school age children. My oldest has been complaining of a headache and body aches for three days. I just put it off to perhaps a developing sinus infection, and was planning to take him to the pediatrician today. Well last night he moved his head and winced. He had neck pain on side-to-side and chin-to-chest movement. This ticked some alarm bells, then he complained soon after of sensitivity to light. And I decided to take him to the hospital because along with his other symptoms, things were adding up pretty quickly to meningitis and I was terrified.

I just wanted to share this story as a cautionary tale. Bacterial meningitis strikes fast and can take your child if you are not sure what you are looking for. So I wanted to share some good information on this illness. According to KidsHealth.org :

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Most cases are caused by bacteria or viruses, but some can be due to certain medications or illnesses.

Bacterial meningitis is rare, but is usually serious and can be life-threatening if not treated right away. Viral meningitis (also called aseptic meningitis) is relatively common and far less serious. It often remains undiagnosed because its symptoms can be similar to those of the common flu.

Kids of any age can get meningitis, but because it can be easily spread among people living in close quarters, teens, college students, and boarding-school students are at higher risk for infection.

If dealt with promptly, meningitis can be treated successfully. So it's important to get routine vaccinations, know the signs of meningitis, and if you suspect that your child has the illness, seek medical care right away.

Symptoms of Meningitis

Meningitis symptoms vary, depending both on the age of the patient and the cause of the infection. Because the flu-like symptoms can be similar in both types of meningitis, particularly in the early stages, and bacterial meningitis can be very serious, it's important to quickly diagnose an infection.

The first symptoms of bacterial or viral meningitis can come on quickly or surface several days after a child has had a cold and runny nose, diarrhea and vomiting, or other signs of an infection. Common symptoms include:

• fever
• lethargy (decreased consciousness)
• irritability
• headache
• photophobia (eye sensitivity to light)
• stiff neck
• skin rashes
• seizures

 If your child has been ill and exhibits any of these symptoms, I'd urge you to have him checked.

Luckily for us, my oldest tested negative for meningitis, streph, and pneumonia. And instead was found to have bronchitis, which we luckily caught early. It was a long night in the ER, but the peace of mind was worth it. And we perhaps stopped something from getting worse.