Q - What are the symptoms of spinal meningitis in adults?

A - The classical symptoms of cerebro-spinal meningitis in adults are:

1. Fever,
2. Headaches,
3. Neck Stiffness.

Some adults may have other symptoms like dizziness, altered consciousness, fear of light, seizures and a rash but these signs are not as common as the classical triad of fever, headaches and neck stiffness.

Of the three, neck stiffness is the most difficult for people to understand. Neckstiffness can easily be identified when a person finds it difficult to turn or move his/her neck without moving the whole body and it is often accompanied with pain.

Whenever this occurs in a person who also complains of fever and headaches or any of the other symptoms mentioned earlier, you should seek medical help immediately.

 

 

Answered - March, 2007