What are the symptoms of meningitis? How do you know if someone has meningitis or septicaemia (sepsis)? Get expert advice on recognizing the signs and when to seek medical help.

Understanding Meningitis and Septicaemia

Meningitis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that involves the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord, known as the meninges. Septicaemia, on the other hand, is a blood poisoning condition caused by the same germs that can lead to meningitis. Septicaemia is also known as sepsis and can occur with or without the presence of meningitis. Both conditions can progress rapidly, so it’s crucial to recognize the symptoms and seek medical attention immediately.

Symptoms of Meningitis and Septicaemia

The main symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia include:

• Fever and/or vomiting
• Severe headache
• Limb, joint, or muscle pain (sometimes with stomach pain or diarrhea)
• Cold hands and feet, shivering
• Pale or mottled skin
• Fast or difficult breathing
• Rash (anywhere on the body)
• Stiff neck (less common in young children)
• Dislike of bright lights (less common in young children)
• Very sleepy, vacant, or difficult to wake
• Confused or delirious
• Seizures (fits)

When to Seek Medical Help

If you suspect someone has meningitis or septicaemia, it’s crucial to seek medical help immediately. These conditions can become life-threatening very quickly, so trust your instincts and don’t hesitate to contact a health professional. The key is to act fast, as the first symptoms are usually fever, vomiting, headache, and feeling unwell.

Red Symptoms: High-Risk, Require Immediate Action

If the person, especially a baby under three months, has any of the following symptoms, go to the hospital or call for an ambulance immediately:

• Temperature over 38°C in babies under three months
• Very fast breathing, finding it much harder to breathe than normal, or noticeable pauses in breathing
• Very lethargic, difficult to wake, or not responding
• Fitting, convulsing, or seizures
• Weak, high-pitched, or continuous crying in a younger child
• Confusion or unusually irritable
• Bulging soft spot on a baby’s head
• Stiff neck, especially when trying to look up and down
• Unusually sleepy, stiff, or floppy baby
• Blue skin, lips, or tongue
• Very pale or mottled skin
• A rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass
• Not had a wee or wet nappy for 12 hours or more
• Very thirsty and not able to keep fluids down
• Bloody or black ‘coffee ground’ sick

Amber Symptoms: Medium-Risk, Require Professional Medical Advice

If the person has any of these amber symptoms, call your local medical professional support (in the UK, NHS 111 or your doctor) without delay:

• Temperature over 39°C in babies aged three to six months
• High temperature in a child who shows no other signs of being unwell
• Headache that is severe and not relieved by paracetamol or ibuprofen
• Persistent vomiting, unable to keep fluids down
• Limb or joint pain, especially with stomach pain or diarrhea
• Shivering or shaking, with or without fever
• Pale, blotchy, or ashen-colored skin
• Rapid breathing, but not severe
• Irritability or confusion

Seeking Medical Help for Young Infants

Young infants, especially those under eight weeks old, are particularly vulnerable to serious infections. If your baby has a combination of any of the following symptoms, with or without a fever, seek urgent medical help:

• Persistent refusal to feed
• Lethargic or excessively sleepy
• Irritable
• Stiff or floppy body
• Weak, high-pitched, or continuous cry
• Grunting
• Bulging soft spot on the baby’s head

Remember, as a parent or caregiver, you know your child best. If your child is ill and getting worse, don’t hesitate to seek medical help immediately, even if you have already seen a doctor.

Recognizing the Urgency

Meningitis and septicaemia (sepsis) can progress rapidly and become life-threatening. By recognizing the symptoms and seeking medical attention promptly, you can increase the chances of a successful treatment and recovery. Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to act quickly if you suspect these serious conditions.

Symptoms of Meningitis | Meningitis Research Foundation

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord – the meninges.

What is septicaemia?

Septicaemia is blood poisoning caused by the same germs as meningitis and is life-threatening. It can occur with or without meningitis and is sometimes referred to as sepsis. Medically, septicaemia is when bacteria enters the bloodstream, causing blood poisoning which triggers sepsis. Sepsis is an overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death.

Both meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours, so it is critical to know the symptoms so you can act fast.

Fever and / or vomiting

Meningitis

Septicaemia

Severe headache

Meningitis

Limb / joint / muscle pain (sometimes with stomach pain/diarrhoea)

Septicaemia

Cold hands and feet / shivering

Septicaemia

Pale or mottled skin

Septicaemia

Breathing fast / breathless

Septicaemia

Rash (anywhere on the body)

Meningitis

Septicaemia

Stiff neck (less common in young children)

Meningitis

Dislike of bright lights (less common in young children)

Meningitis

Very sleepy / vacant / difficult to wake

Meningitis

Septicaemia

Confused / delirious

Meningitis

Septicaemia

Seizures (fits)

Meningitis

If I think someone has meningitis symptoms, when do I go to hospital?

Someone who has meningitis or septicaemia can become seriously ill very quickly, so always trust your instincts and get medical help fast by speaking to a health professional.

The first symptoms are usually fever, vomiting, headache and feeling unwell. Limb pain, pale skin, and cold hands and feet often appear earlier than the rash, neck stiffness, dislike of bright lights and confusion.

It is important to understand that not everyone gets all the meningitis and septicaemia symptoms: they can appear in any order.

What to do if you think your baby or child is unwell with meningitis or septicaemia

Parents or carers are often unsure when to call for medical help when they suspect meningitis or septicaemia (the blood poisoning form of meningitis, often called sepsis).

That is why we have worked with health professionals to create this red and amber symptoms checker, to tell you what actions to take. Often called our safety-netting resources, these will guide you on what are high or medium risk symptoms, and what to do.

Red symptoms: high risk | take immediate action

If your child is unwell with any of these symptoms, go to a hospital or call for an ambulance immediately.

Temperature

• Over 38°C in babies under three months
• Has a temperature and feels abnormally cold to touch / very cold hands and feet

Breathing

• Very fast breathing, finding it much harder to breathe than normal, or noticeable pauses in breathing
• Grunting and / or noises with every breath

Body and activity

• Very lethargic / difficult to wake / not responding
• Fitting / convulsion / seizures
• Weak, high pitched or continuous crying in a younger child
• Confusion or unusually irritable
• Soft spot on a baby’s head is bulging
• Stiff neck, especially when trying to look up and down
• Unusually sleepy, stiff or floppy baby

Skin, lips and tongue

• Blue skin, lips or tongue
• Very pale or mottled skin
• A rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass

Eating, drinking, and toilet habits

• Not had a wee or wet nappy for 12 hours or more
• Very thirsty and not able to keep fluids down
• Bloody or black ‘coffee ground’ sick

And if your baby is under eight weeks old:

Young infants are particularly vulnerable to serious infection. Seek urgent medical help if your baby has a combination of any of the following symptoms, with or without a fever:

• Persistent refusal to feed
• Lethargic / excessively sleepy
• Irritable
• Stiff or floppy body
• Weak / high pitched or continuous cry
• Grunting
• Soft spot on the baby’s head is bulging

Some of these red, high-risk symptoms are not typical signs of meningitis or septicaemia (sepsis) but are still signs of severe illness, so, if your child is unwell and has any of the red symptoms, get urgent medical help.

Remember, always trust your instincts: parents, guardians or carers often know when their child is seriously ill. If your child is ill and getting worse, don’t be afraid to seek medical help immediately, even if you have already seen a doctor.

Amber symptoms: medium risk | get professional medical advice

If you are worried about a child who has any of these amber symptoms call your local medical professional support (in the UK, NHS 111 or your doctor) without delay.

Temperature

• Over 39°C in babies aged three to six months
• High temperature in a child who shows no interest in anything, or high temperature for more than five days
• Low temperature (below 36°C, checking three times in a ten minute period)

Breathing

• Fast breathing
• Cough that sounds like a seal barking
• Noisy or crackly breathing
• Nostrils are flaring
• In an older child, they can’t say more than a few words

Body and activity

• Unusually sleepy
• Child can’t be encouraged to show interest in anything / not wanting to do very much
• Not responding normally to family or carers
• Child under five not smiling
• Shivering or shaking
• Severe headache
• Dislike of bright lights
• Limb / joint / muscle pain
• Not using / putting weight on an arm, leg, hand or foot
• Swelling of a limb or joint

Skin, lips and tongue

• Pale skin, lips or tongue in a child under five
• Sunken eyes
• Rash that does fade when pressed with a clear glass

Eating, drinking and toilet habits

• Not feeding or eating much
• Not drinking for more than eight hours (when awake)
• Dry mouth
• Under one year old with vomiting and / or diarrhoea
• Vomiting more than twice in the last 24 hours or has bile-stained vomit
• More than five watery poos in a 24 hour period
• Only one wet nappy or wee in the last 12 hours

You may have already seen a health professional about your child, but it is important to get more medical advice if:

• You feel that your child is worse than when you previously spoke to a health professional.

• You are more worried about your child than when you previously spoke to a health professional.

• You are concerned that you are unable to look after your child.

What is the meningitis rash?

If you are seriously worried about someone who is ill, don’t wait for a rash to appear – get medical help. But if they are already ill and have a rash, or one appears, use the tumbler test.

The tumbler test

Press a clear glass tumbler firmly against the rash. If you can see the marks clearly through the glass get urgent medical help immediately.

Check the entire body. Look out for tiny red or brown pin-prick marks which can change into larger red or purple blotches and blood blisters.

The darker the skin the harder it is to see a septicaemic rash, so check lighter areas like the palms of hands and soles of feet or look inside the eyelids and the roof of the mouth.

Remember, a very ill person needs medical help even if there are only a few spots, a rash or no rash at all. More on what is the meningitis rash.

Other symptoms

When deciding whether a child is well enough to go home or needs to be in hospital, a health professional needs to take measurements such as heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen level and alertness.

National UK guidelines outline what doctors should measure in children with fever or suspected infection and when they should refer children to hospital. You can read these guidelines here:

• Fever in under fives: assessment and initial management
• Meningitis (bacterial) and meningococcal septicaemia in under 16s: recognition, diagnosis and management
• Sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management

More support

If you have questions or concerns about meningitis or septicaemia you can ring our Support Services on 080 8800 3344 in the UK or 1800 41 33 44 in the Republic of Ireland. But don’t wait to speak to us if you think you or someone you care about is seriously ill – always get professional medical support.

Further resources

Download our meningitis and septicaemia symptoms infographic: A4 version | A5 version

Read what vaccines are available to prevent meningitis

Our safety netting campaign and report (2018)

Meningitis symptoms in babies

Meningitis symptoms in toddlers

Meningitis symptoms in teenagers and young adults

Cold and Flu – familydoctor.org

Follow this chart for information about how to treat the symptoms of a cold or the flu and how to know when to see a doctor. Other illnesses may also cause flu- or cold-like symptoms. Self-care is often all that is needed to treat common viral illnesses.

Back to Symptoms

Step 2

Answering Questions

• Do you have a fever?

• Do you have a sore throat and headache without nasal drainage or a cough?

• Did your symptoms start suddenly, and do you have a combination of symptoms including muscle aches, fatigue, chills, sore throat, runny nose, and/or cough?

• Are you experiencing wheezing, shortness of breath, and a persistent cough that brings up clear, yellow, or green mucus?

• Do you have a headache or muscle aches, nausea or vomiting, and watery diarrhea?

• Are you experiencing a runny and/or itchy nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes that get worse when you are outside or around certain triggers?

• Are you experiencing sneezing, a sore throat with a cough, a headache, congestion, and a runny nose?

• Do you have pressure or pain around your eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead; nasal congestion; a headache; a dry cough; and/or any type of discharge from your nose?

Back to Questions

Step 3

Possible Causes

• Diagnosis

  You may have STREP THROAT, an infection caused by bacteria.

  ---

  Self Care

  See your doctor if your sore throat or fever lasts longer than 48 hours. He or she can do a test to find out if you have strep throat. If you do, your doctor may give you an antibiotic to treat it.

  You should also get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. Gargling with warm salt water (1/4 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup [8 ounces] of warm water) may help relieve your sore throat.

  ---

  Start Over

• Diagnosis

  You may have a viral infection, possibly INFLUENZA (also known as the FLU).

  ---

  Self Care

  If you see your doctor within 48 hours of the start of your symptoms, he or she may prescribe an antiviral medicine to shorten the course of the flu.

  Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines may relieve some of your symptoms. Don’t give OTC cough and cold medicines to a child younger than 4 years of age unless your child’s doctor says it’s okay.

  Remember, you can prevent the flu by getting a flu shot each fall.

  ---

  Start Over

• Diagnosis

  You may have ACUTE BRONCHITIS, an inflammation of the airways that is most often caused by a viral infection.

  ---

  Self Care

  Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Using a cool-mist humidifier may also relieve some of your symptoms. If you smoke, quitting is the best way to help your airways heal faster.

  Antibiotics do not work against the viruses that cause most cases of acute bronchitis. An over-the-counter (OTC) medicine can reduce inflammation, ease pain, and lower your fever. An expectorant (medicine that thins mucus) can help your cough clear mucus from your airways. Don’t give over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines to a child younger than 4 years of age unless your child’s doctor says it’s okay.

  If you are wheezing, you might need inhaled medicine. Your doctor will decide if this treatment is right for you.

  If your symptoms persist or get worse, contact your doctor. If you are having trouble breathing at rest or with light activity, go directly to the nearest emergency room (by ambulance, if necessary).

  ---

  Start Over

• Diagnosis

  You may have viral GASTROENTERITIS. Many people call it the STOMACH FLU, but it is not the same as influenza.

  ---

  Self Care

  Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated. Ease back into eating with bland foods and clear liquids.

  Children who have gastroenteritis should be given an oral rehydration solution (ORS) to avoid dehydration.

  ---

  Start Over

• Diagnosis

  You may have ALLERGIC RHINITIS, an allergic reaction to triggers such as tree, grass, or weed pollen; animal dander from cats and dogs; mold; and dust mites.

  ---

  Self Care

  Try an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine medicine or an OTC nasal steroid spray. If your symptoms are getting worse or are hard to control, contact your doctor.

  ---

  Start Over

• Diagnosis

  You probably have a viral infection, commonly called a COLD.

  ---

  Self Care

  Antibiotics do not work against the viruses that cause colds.

  Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Try an over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicine to treat the specific symptoms you are having. Don’t give OTC cough and cold medicines to a child younger than 4 years of age unless your child’s doctor says it’s okay.

  ---

  Start Over

• Diagnosis

  You may be developing a viral or bacterial infection called SINUSITIS.

  ---

  Self Care

  Get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers may help reduce facial pain. Holding a warm, wet towel against your face or breathing in steam through a warm cloth or towel can relieve sinus pressure and help open your sinus passages. A cool-mist humidifier may help your sinuses drain more easily.

  Contact your doctor if your symptoms last longer than 10 days or if your symptoms start to get better but then suddenly get worse again. Severe cases of sinusitis caused by bacteria may require an antibiotic.

  ---

  Start Over

• Self Care

  For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think your problem is serious, call right away.

  WARNING: Due to the risk of Reye’s syndrome, don’t give aspirin to children without your doctor’s approval.

  ---

  Start Over

familydoctor.org editorial staff
October 21, 2020October 5, 2016

Nausea and vomiting in adults – causes, examination and treatment in Astrakhan | Symptoms

Appendicitis, perforation of the intestinal wall, inflammation of the gallbladder, pancreatitis
Signs: Significant abdominal pain. The abdomen is painful on palpation.

Bowel obstruction
Signs: Lack of bowel movements and flatulence. Spasmodic abdominal pain that comes and goes. Bloated belly. Usually in people with a hernia or previous abdominal surgery.

Gastroenteritis
Signs: Vomiting and diarrhea. No pain or minimal abdominal pain (except for vomiting). Rarely, fever or blood in the stool. Normal results of abdominal examination.

Hepatitis
Symptoms: Mild to moderate nausea for many days and sometimes vomiting. General malaise. Darkening of the urine, then yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice). Loss of appetite. Sensation of mild discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen.

Ingestion of toxic substances (alcohol, aspirin, iron, lead or insecticides)
Signs: Information about ingestion is usually obtained from the history. Various other symptoms, depending on the substance ingested.

Head injury (due to a recent accident, sports injury or fall)
Signs: Injury is evident from the person’s history. Often headache, confusion, and difficulty remembering recent events.

Brain bleeding
Symptoms: Sudden, often severe headache. Confusion of consciousness.

Meningitis (brain infection)
Signs: Increasing headache and disorientation. Often fever and pain when the head is tilted forward, a reddish-purple rash of tiny dots on the skin (petechiae) if caused by meningococcal meningitis.

Increased intracranial pressure (for example, caused by a blood clot or tumor)
Signs: Headache, confusion, and sometimes problems with nerves, spinal cord, or brain function.

Labyrinthitis (inflammation of the inner ear)
Signs: False sensation of movement (systemic vertigo), rhythmic twitching eye movement (nystagmus), and worsening of symptoms with head movement. Sometimes ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

Migraine
Signs: Usually moderate to severe headache. Headache, before which people sometimes see flashes of light and blind spots (aura). Sometimes sensitivity to light (photophobia) or temporary disturbances in balance or muscle strength. Often there is a history of recurrence of such attacks.

Motion sickness
Signs: The cause is obvious from the person’s history.

Psychological disorders
Signs: No diarrhea or abdominal pain. Vomiting often associated with stress. The food is disgusting.

Diabetic ketoacidosis
Signs: Increased daily urine volume (polyuria), increased thirst (polydipsia), and often significant dehydration.

Side effects or drug toxicity
Signs: Taking a drug or substance, which is obvious from the history taking.

Liver or kidney failure
Signs: Often jaundice with advanced liver disease. The smell of ammonia from the mouth in renal failure. Often in people with a known disorder.

Pregnancy
Signs: Nausea and/or vomiting often in the morning or in response to meals. Normal examination results (except that the person may be dehydrated). Often missed or delayed menstrual cycles.

Exposure to radiation
Signs: Impact is usually evident based on the person’s history. Severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Doctor Onishchenko lists the symptoms of plague infection part of Azerbaijan media: 9people were killed, 130 were injured due to an explosion in a pyrotechnics warehouse in southern Thailand RPL 2nd round: Wings of the Soviets – Dynamo – 3: 3

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The first symptoms appear seven days after infection, Gennady Onishchenko noted on NSN.

The clinical manifestations of plague are very acute, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting appear, said the Honored Doctor of Russia, epidemiologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Onishchenko at press center NSN .

“Flea bite and food”: Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation Onishchenko told how you can get plague

“As for the clinic… It is very acute. Somewhere in seven days, the maximum incubation period, but when we impose a quarantine, we do two periods – for 14 days. Acute febrile condition, very high fever, chills, headache, body aches, weakness, nausea, vomiting,” Onishchenko said.

Earlier, Gennady Onishchenko told the NSN press center that there is a special anti-plague system in Russia – four anti-plague institutes and 15 stations, Radiotochka NSN reports.

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PHOTO: RIA Novosti / Valery Melnikov

TAGS: RussiaGennady Onishchenko

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