Meningitis symptoms

Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours – know the symptoms

The first symptoms are usually fever, vomiting, headache and feeling unwell. Red ticks show symptoms more specific to meningitis and septicaemia and less common in milder illnesses. Limb pain, pale skin, and cold hands and feet often appear earlier than the rash, neck stiffness, dislike of bright lights and confusion.

		Septicaemia	Meningitis
	Fever and/or vomiting
	Severe headache
	Limb/joint/muscle pain (sometimes with pain/diarrhoea)
	Cold hand and feet/shivering
	Pale or mottled skin
	Breathing fast/breathless
	Rash (anywhere on the body)
	Stiff neck (less common in young children)
	Dislike of bright lights (less common in young children)
	Very sleepy /vacant /difficult to wake
	Confused /delirious
	Seizures (fits) may also be seen

Other signs in babies:

• Tense or bulging soft spot on their head
• Refusing to feed
• Irritable when picked up, with a high pitched or moaning cry
• A stiff body with jerky movements, or else floppy and lifeless
• Fever is often absent in babies less than three months of age

Septicaemia can occur with or without meningitis. Not everyone gets all the symptoms and they can appear in any order.

What should I do if I am worried about someone who is ill?

Trust your instincts. Someone who has meningitis or septicaemia could become seriously ill very quickly. Get medical help immediately if you suspect meningitis or septicaemia – it’s a race against time.

The tumbler test

If you are seriously worried about someone who is ill, don’t wait for a rash to appear – get medical help. But if they are already ill and get a new rash or spots, use the Tumbler Test.

Press a clear glass tumbler firmly against the rash. If you can see the marks clearly through the glass seek urgent medical help immediately.

Check the entire body. Look out for tiny red or brown pin-prick marks which can change into larger red or purple blotches and blood blisters.

The darker the skin the harder it is to see a septicaemic rash so check lighter areas like the palms of hands and soles of feet or look inside the eyelids and the roof of the mouth.

Remember, a very ill person needs medical help even if there are only a few spots, a rash or no rash at all.

What are meningitis and septicaemia?

Meningitis is inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord – the meninges. Septicaemia is blood poisoning caused by the same germs and is the more life threatening form of the disease. Septicaemia can occur with or without meningitis.