Tubercular Meningitis
Rosenie Beausejour
Med-Life Institute
June 6th, 2013
Abstract
Tubercular Meningitis is a rare but infectious disorder caused by a bacterium. The name of the bacteria is mycobacterium tuberculosis. What happens is that the bacterium infects the meninges, which is the membrane that covers the Central Nervous System. When this happens, the membrane around the spinal cord and the brain becomes inflamed. Some risk factors may include having a history or AIDS, pulmonary tuberculosis and excessive alcohol use. Meningitis is a particularly dangerous infection because of the very delicate nature of the brain. Brain cells are some of the only cells in the body that, once killed, will not regenerate themselves. Therefore, if enough brain tissue is damaged by an infection, serious, life-long handicaps will remain.
Tubercular Meningitis
Tubercular Meningitis also known as Tuberculosis Meningitis or TB Meningitis is an infection. This disease is an infection of the meninges. The meninges are the system of membranes that envelops the central nervous system. Tubercular Meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis. It causes severe neurological deficits. In most cases, patients with Tubercular Meningitis die.
Tubercular Meningitis is a rare but infectious disorder caused by a bacterium. The name of the bacteria is mycobacterium tuberculosis. What happens is that the bacterium infects the meninges, which is the membrane that covers the Central Nervous System. When this happens, the membrane around the spinal cord and the brain becomes inflamed. Some risk factors may include having a history or AIDS, pulmonary tuberculosis and excessive alcohol use. Meningitis is a particularly dangerous infection because of the very delicate nature of the brain. Brain cells are some of the only cells in the body that, once killed, will not regenerate themselves. Therefore, if enough brain tissue is damaged by an infection, serious, life-long handicaps will remain.
Tubercular Meningitis is a disease that can be passed from one person to the next. In most cases, people with Tubercular Meningitis believe they have the flu because of the symptoms that comes along with Tubercular Meningitis. TBM usually begins in the lungs and spreads to the brain and spinal cord. When the infections spread, that is where most the TBM symptoms begin to appear.
Tubercular Meningitis’ most common sign are headaches along with fevers. Other signs of Tubercular Meningitis are feeling unwell, tired, and irritable, not being able to sleep or eat properly, and gradually worsening headache. In the elderly, symptoms are even more subtle, often just drowsiness and feeling unwell. After a few weeks with tubercular meningitis, some more obvious symptoms appear such as vomiting, severe headache, the dislike of lights, neck stiffness and seizures.
To better understand how the infection affects the spinal and brain, one must understand the location and surrounding area of the brain and spinal cord. Because the brain is enclosed in the hard, bony case of the skull, any disease that produces swelling will be damaging to the brain. The skull cannot expand at all, so when the swollen brain tissue pushes up against the skull's hard bone, the brain tissue becomes damaged and may ultimately die. Furthermore, swelling on the right side of the brain will not only cause pressure and damage to that side of the brain, but by taking up precious space within the tight confines of the skull, the left side of the brain will also be pushed up against the hard surface of the skull, causing damage to the left side of the brain as well.
Another way that infections injure the brain involves the way in which the chemical environment of the brain changes in response to the presence of an infection. The cells of the brain require a very well-regulated environment. Careful balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide, sodium, calcium, potassium, and other substances must be
