Initial symptoms of viral meningitis usually manifest similarly to an ordinary cold or flu, followed by a high fever. In children and adults, abnormally high fever, excess fatigue, and an interruption in appetite and eating patterns are common symptoms. The light sensitivity, stiffness of the neck and spine, nausea, and intense headaches that adults generally encounter as symptoms of viral meningitis typically manifest in infants, who are unable to communicate their exact discomforts, as general fussiness or irritability.
Symptoms of viral meningitis in children younger than two years old can be difficult to detect because babies this young are not able to articulate the exact nature of their ailments. Parents or guardians that notice a sudden high fever, lethargy, or abnormal indifference to eating in children should consider that their illness might be attributed to meningitis and seek medical assistance. Fortunately, while the symptoms of viral meningitis are unpleasant, the disease in not typically fatal in individuals with healthy immune systems.
Adults may have an easier time pinpointing the symptoms of viral meningitis, which generally leads to a quicker diagnosis. Initially, many patients experience cold- or flu-like symptoms such as runny nose and fever before further symptoms arise. Since meningitis is a disease that causes the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed, patients are likely to experience sensitivity to light or headaches as well as stiffness in the neck and spine. If the fever remains at high levels and other symptoms such as poor appetite and nausea or vomiting appear, it is possible that the cause is viral meningitis.
Even though viral meningitis is usually not as serious or as frequently fatal as its counterpart bacterial meningitis, it is essential, upon recognizing these symptoms, to seek medical assistance and an appropriate diagnosis. The symptoms of viral meningitis are very similar to the symptoms of bacterial meningitis, an illness that can rapidly become fatal if untreated. A diagnosis for viral meningitis cannot be obtained solely from analysis of the symptoms. Medical tests called spinal taps collect and test a sample of spinal fluid to determine if a patient has meningitis, and will also reveal whether the illness is viral or bacterial.
Interestingly, not everyone who contracts the meningitis virus will develop symptoms or illness at all. Like many other viruses, it is possible for individuals to carry the strain in their bodies but never feel the effects of the full blown disease. In such cases, individuals may never notice a single symptom, or perhaps only develop minor symptoms such as slight fever or a rash.