Around the country millions of students are embarking on what is sure to be one of the greatest adventures of their adolescence – going away to college. In the month of August, more college students probably started stocking up on items they would need for the dorm room; everything from mini-refrigerators to shower shoes. But did they protect themselves against one of the most common, yet fatal, diseases to strike dorm rooms, meningitis?
I’m going to take just a moment to describe my experience with bacterial meningitis when I was 19 years old. It was the weekend, and I was experiencing a headache that I just couldn’t get rid of. It was a very bad headache, but I didn’t really think anything out of the ordinary. I went to work the next day with the headache still there, and thought I would just power through the shift before going home to take another nap. Everything was fine (aside from the headache) until something strange happened. I was taking a phone call and needed to write down information, but my hand locked up and I could no longer write. I looked to the person next to me to take the phone. Next thing I know, it was 5 days later and I was in a hospital bed. I had had a seizure at work. When the ambulance came, my temperature was over 104 degrees and I was thrashing violently trying to fight them off of me. I don’t recall any of this. The doctors gave my family a 50% chance of survival, and even with that the possibility for brain damage. My family spent the next few days preparing for the worst while doctors pumped me with antibiotics to try and fight off this disease. Luckily, the story had a happy ending for me, though that has not been the case for many.
Bacterial meningitis is a rare, but sometimes fatal, disease that affects about 2500 – 3500 people annually. Children younger than 5 are the most likely to come down with bacterial meningitis, but the second largest group that is affected is students who are living in dormitories or other living areas that involve close contact with several other people.
So what exactly is meningitis? Meningitis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the meninges, or the tissue that covers the brain. Bacteria, viruses, or rarely, fungi can cause it. Viral is the most common form and the least likely to inflict permanent damage. Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, can result in death merely days after the initial presentation of symptoms.
The most common and best subjective indicator is a headache that can be described as “the worst headache of your life”. It will likely involve the inability of the person to touch their chin to their chest without experiencing excruciating pain. If either of these symptoms arises, the affected person should be taken immediately to the E.R. to be properly evaluated by a physician. The doctor will most likely order a lumbar puncture or “spinal tap” to evaluate the cerebral spinal fluid. The lab can quickly determine whether the fluid, which is normally sterile, is infected with microorganisms. After the diagnosis is confirmed, antibiotics can be used to clear the infection.
The most important action a person can take to protect themselves against this disease is to get immunized. There are currently 3 vaccines on the market to protect against meningitis. Several colleges now require the vaccination for anyone who is going to be staying in the dorm rooms. Your doctor’s office or pharmacy will have the vaccine and it usually costs ~$130 without insurance. Although slightly high in price, it far beats the alternative.
So this fall while you are out shopping for things to keep you comfortable at college, remember this vaccine that will keep you healthy. Do not let my experience happen to you, the outcome could have been far more devastating.
Source: WebMD