The pathogen meningococcus gets its name from the fact that it mainly affects the meninges (meningeal tissue). Nevertheless, it can also enter other organs and tissues of a person, however, the brain remains its number one target. The first manifestations of meningitis (inflammation of the meninges) are an increase in body temperature to 28 or 40 degrees. In general, all symptoms at the onset of the disease indicate a common respiratory infection.
However, meningitis differs from respiratory diseases in that, along with fever, there are many other symptoms that are characteristic only for this disease. They are associated primarily with a violation of the normal functioning of the brain tissue. This also includes the so-called meningeal symptoms, which indicate the defeat of the soft meninges. These are Kernig's symptom (sometimes referred to as Kernig's syndrome), Brudzinski's symptoms and other symptoms.
These manifestations should be mentioned separately, but for now let's dwell on the general symptoms of meningitis. Many of these patients present with weakness.and severe headaches, which are caused by increased intracranial pressure and intoxication. This is also the reason for vomiting, which is caused by irritation of the vomiting centers in the brain, so it is not accompanied by nausea and after it there is no relief.
Meningeal symptoms do not appear immediately, usually after one day. Although Kernig's symptom is one of the most indicative of meningitis, a number of other manifestations are also observed: the headache intensifies when the patient turns his head several times in a horizontal plane. The muscles of the back of the head are usually tense (rigidity), which is noticeable when the patient tries to passively tilt the head forward, sometimes it is even impossible to just bring the chin closer to the chest.
Kernig's symptom can be characteristic not only for people with meningitis, but also for those who have some diseases of the knee joints. However, in combination with other manifestations of the disease, this symptom makes it possible to establish an accurate diagnosis. Kernig's symptom consists in the fact that with passive flexion and extension of the leg in the knee and hip joint (with the help of a doctor), full extension is not observed, which is due to both the rigidity of certain muscles of the lower limb and pain.
This Kering syndrome is being investigated in two phases. First, the doctor bends the leg of the patient, lying on his back, at a right angle in the hip and knee joints. The doctor then releases pressure on the patient's leg, causing it to passively extend. In a he althy person, this symptomdoes not manifest itself in any way, and the leg returns to its original position without difficulty.
With the help of Kernig's symptom, it is possible to establish not only the presence of meningitis, but also the degree of infection of the brain. It is also possible to determine the dynamics of the development of the disease and predict further pathological changes in the nervous tissue.
