Meningitis is a word you might hear on the news. That's because there are sometimes outbreaks of meningitis at schools or colleges — and it can be a serious illness. But many people recover completely after they have meningitis and there are ways to prevent it.
What Is Meningitis?
The central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) is surrounded by cerebrospinal (say: suh-REE-bro-SPY-nul) fluid. This fluid acts to cushion and protect the central nervous system when you move around. Even more protection is given by the meninges (say: muh-NIN-jeez), which are the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Meningitis (say: men-un-JYE-tus) is a disease involving inflammation (swelling), or irritation, of the meninges. There are different kinds of meningitis, but most of the time it is caused by germs, especially viruses.
Meningitis gets attention because it not only makes a person feel sick, it can have lasting effects on a person's ability to think and learn. It also can cause hearing loss. But many people recover from the infection without permanent damage. And the illness is so rare, you may never know anyone who gets it.
How Does Someone Get Meningitis?
The body has natural defenses against infections — and usually even if someone comes across a virus or bacteria that can cause meningitis, the body can fight it off. Everyone has lots of germs living on and in their bodies. Most of the time, these germs don't cause any illness. In fact, some of them, like some of the bacteria normally found in the intestines, help the body to work properly. However, some germs do cause infections.
If a person gets an infection, the body's immune system will go to work to fight it. That's why you might feel sick one day, but then you start to feel better. The immune system is doing its job.
Some germs, however, are tricky. They can outsmart the body's defenses and spread inside of the body. Some of these germs can even invade the central nervous system, infecting the meninges and causing meningitis.