[100세건강] I had a high fever after going to the swimming pool I thought it was a cold. : ZUM News

(Seoul = News 1) Reporter Cheon Seon-hyu = “I thought it was a cold. They said I had a high fever and a headache. But they said it was meningitis .”

Mr A, who is raising an eight-year-old son, has recently been staying in hospital with a child. This is because the child developed severe cold symptoms after going to the water park, went to the hospital, was diagnosed with meningitis, and was admitted to the hospital.

Mr A said, “I was suddenly so ill that I wondered if I had the coronavirus, which is popular these days, but I was diagnosed with meningitis, which I hadn’t thought about. ever,” and he added, “I was surprised to learn that you can catch it even in a swimming pool.”

Meningitis, which can easily be mistaken for a ‘summer cold’, is a disease that often appears in children under 10 between June and August. In particular, experts advise that if a child’s condition suddenly worsens because the symptoms of meningitis are difficult to differentiate from a cold or flu, meningitis should be suspected.

Meningitis literally refers to a case where the meninges around the brain to protect the brain become inflamed due to infection, depending on the cause of the disease, it can be divided into bacterial, viral, fungal, etc.

First, bacterial meningitis is the most severe form and is caused by infections such as pneumococcus, meningococcus, and Escherichia coli.

It is especially common in newborns, premature babies, unvaccinated children, and the unprotected.

In addition, compared to viral meningitis, the risk of complications is higher and prompt antibiotic treatment is required.

Na Ji-hoon, professor of pediatrics at Gangnam Severance Hospital, said, “Bacterial meningitis usually causes rapid systemic symptoms and progresses rapidly, which may lead to coma or death. It can also have serious effects on the central nervous system.

ⓒ News 1 DB

Viral meningitis is the most common type of meningitis.

In particular, viral meningitis is caused by the enterovirus which causes hand, foot and mouth in 90% of cases. In addition, several viruses such as herpes virus, chicken pox virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and coronavirus cause meningitis.

Professor Na explained, “Viral meningitis usually has milder symptoms than bacterial meningitis, but various neurological symptoms such as headache, vomiting, dehydration and seizures can occur.”

The problem is that these viruses, which we have all heard about at least once, are easy to spread.

In particular, enteroviruses can be transmitted not only between people, but also through dirty water, swimming pool water, or feces.

Professor Na said, “Viral meningitis has milder symptoms than bacterial meningitis and sometimes recovers naturally, but side effects and complications vary depending on the patient’s condition and the type of virus. “

He also warned, “If the herpes virus among viral meningitis is not treated properly, it can cause side effects such as hearing loss and epilepsy. “

Therefore, it is important to recognize the symptoms of meningitis and visit a hospital early.

Professor Na said, “Babies and young children show symptoms such as not eating well, fussing a lot, high fever, sudden deterioration in physical condition, and rashes all over bodies, but it is difficult to separate them from general diseases he said, “If the fever does not go down easily and the condition is poor, keep in mind that it could be meningitis. “You need to leave and go to the hospital,” he advised.

Additionally, for children older than elementary school age, typical symptoms include fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and neck stiffness.

In severe cases, the patient’s symptoms may be one-stroke paralysis, convulsions, or loss of consciousness. In this case, one must suspect that the disease has directly attacked the brain.

To prevent meningitis, it is best to get vaccinated against the relevant infectious cause. Among the vaccines included in the national mandatory vaccinations are Haemophilus influenza type B, tuberculosis, measles, smallpox, and pneumococcus.

It is also important to maintain overall personal hygiene. Professor Na said, “It is good to avoid dirty water or feces and to be careful about using group swimming pools, especially in the summer food, enough sleep, and adequate exercise. ” “It’s important to do that,” he said.

[email protected]

Copyright ⓒ News1. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use of AI learning is prohibited.