Meningitis is inflammation of the lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. A higher number of white blood cells is present during aseptic meningitis (AM).
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AM may stem from:
Factors that may increase the risk of meningitis include:
Symptoms range from mild to severe. You may have:
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. The fluid around the spine and brain will be tested. It will confirm meningitis. Tests of the blood and fluid may be done to look for a cause.
Images of the brain and spine may be taken with the:
Most people get better with time. Care depends on the cause. It may involve:
Your doctor will stop any medicines that are causing problems.
Note: Aspirin is not advised for children with a current or recent viral infection. Check with your doctor before giving your child aspirin.
To lower your chance of AM:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov
National Meningitis Association
http://www.nmaus.org
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada
http://www.meningitis.ca
Aseptic meningitis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/aseptic-meningitis/updates . Updated July 25, 2019. Accessed September 13, 2019.
Meningococcal disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html. Updated March 13, 2019. Accessed June 18, 2018.
Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD