15 General Signs of Spinal Meningitis

Meningitis is a condition — often viral — that inflames the membranes around your spine and brain. These membranes are known as meninges, hence the term meningitis meaning inflammation of the meninges.

Spinal meningitis is a particularly serious variant that takes place in the spinal cord. While severe symptoms can easily be used to diagnose meningitis, there are some general signs that may be less obvious.

Knowing about these signs could be the key to getting early treatment. After all, when the more severe symptoms manifest you’re likely in a later stage of the viral infection.

When it comes to spinal meningitis, much like with other viral infections, you should always try to nip the issue at the bud with early antiviral treatment.

The faster you take care of the infection, the less chance you’ll have of developing further complications. Here are eight signs that you might have spinal meningitis.

1. Drowsiness

The first sign that you should be on the lookout for is drowsiness. While it’s true that some people are naturally drowsy and tend to sleep long, drowsiness may be cause for concern if it’s out of place. If you’re a person who normally has a ton of energy and wakes up early but have recently noticed yourself snoozing the alarm without a clear explanation then this could be a sign that you have spinal meningitis.

After all, most meningitis cases are viral. Whenever your body comes into contact with a virus, it will trigger various immune responses which could leave you drowsy while your body attempts to fight the infection. You shouldn’t panic if you’re drowsy. After all, it could simply be that you’re overworking yourself, but if the drowsiness isn’t aligned with your personality and/or is accompanied by other signs on this list then it would be wise to head to your doctor.