You might think of meningitis as a disease that mainly affects very young children or adults with other health problems, like a weakened immune system. But there are different types of meningitis, and one kind in particular poses a risk to teenagers and young adults. As your child grows up, it's a good idea to learn about their risk and the things that drive it up.
Meningitis is the inflammation of tissues called meninges that surround your brain and spinal cord. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites can cause it. But bacterial meningitis is the main type to be aware of when you're caring for a teen or a young adult. It's an illness that can be life-threatening, and it's common in people under 20 years old.
Find out why that is, how the disease spreads, and what habits make you more likely to catch it.
Why Do Teens and Young Adults Have a Higher Risk of Bacterial Meningitis?
You can get bacterial meningitis at any age. But teens and young adults are among the groups of people at higher risk, often because of the places that life sometimes takes them.
Bacterial meningitis germs spread easily from person to person in close quarters where lots of people gather. So young people who live in crowded spaces are more likely to catch it. That can include those who:
- Go to boarding school
- Live in a college dorm
- Join the military and sleep in a barracks
How Does Bacterial Meningitis Spread?
Most often, the germs that cause bacterial meningitis spread similarly to those that cause other common infections. A person who carries the germs in their nose and throat can infect others through coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing personal items.
The person who spreads the germs might not be sick. It's possible to carry the bacteria in your mouth and throat for months and pass it to others without realizing it.
In most people who get bacterial meningitis, the germs enter the bloodstream, travel to the brain and spinal cord, and inflame the meninges. The type of bacteria that tends to cause the illness in teens and young adults is called Neisseria meningitidis. A vaccine can help prevent the disease.
What Things Raise the Risk of Getting Bacterial Meningitis?
Various choices and habits can make your teen or young adult more likely to catch bacterial meningitis. Some of risk factors are:
Not getting a meningitis vaccine. This puts teens and young adults at much higher risk of catching the disease. Getting vaccinated, on the other hand, is the best way to protect them from becoming ill.
If your child has already gotten a meningitis vaccine, you can ask their doctor when they might be due for a booster. If they haven't gotten vaccinated yet, talk with their doctor about when to start (often at age 11 or 12) or how to help them catch up.
Sharing personal items. The germs that cause bacterial meningitis can spread on used items that teens or young adults may be tempted to share, like:
- Towels
- Foods
- Drinks
- Straws
- Utensils
- Toothbrushes
- Cigarettes
Having close contact with sick people. Some teens and young adults may shrug at the idea of hanging out with a sick friend or significant other. But if the person who's sick has bacterial meningitis, they can spread the germs that cause it through sneezes and coughs. So urge your teen or young adult to keep their distance from someone who's under the weather.
Smoking cigarettes or breathing in secondhand smoke. Either may lower a teen's or young adult's immunity, which ups the odds of getting bacterial meningitis. If friends or classmates smoke around your child, your child should think about asking them to do it somewhere, else or going somewhere else themselves if they can. If other people in your child's dorm smoke inside and won't stop when asked to do so, tell your child to talk with the RA.
Not practicing healthy habits. A young person's risk of getting bacterial meningitis goes up if they let healthy habits fall by the wayside. To keep your immune system strong, it's important to eat a balanced diet, get regular physical activity, and get quality sleep each night.
And it's important to keep up your body's defenses. If you carry the germs that cause meningitis, your immune system might keep that bacteria at bay. But if you come down with a viral illness like the flu, that might open the door for the bacteria to invade your cells and cause you to become sick with meningitis, too.
Why Is It So Risky to Get Bacterial Meningitis?
This illness may share some symptoms of the common cold, like sneezing and coughing, but it's much more dangerous than that. Without fast treatment, bacterial meningitis can lead to major health problems like:
- Seizures
- Brain damage
- Stroke
- Trouble remembering, focusing, balancing, or coordinating movements
- Loss of some vision, hearing, or some movement
Sometimes, the disease can be deadly. Even though quick treatment can prevent many of the possible complications bacterial meningitis could cause, your child's best bet is to avoid getting it in the first place.
So check in with your teen or young adult once in a while about their health.
Teach them (or gently remind them) to avoid habits that raise their risk of vaccine-preventable illnesses like bacterial meningitis.
Show Sources
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SOURCES:
Cleveland Clinic: "Bacterial Meningitis."
Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Bacterial Meningitis."
Mayo Clinic: "Meningitis."
Nemours TeensHealth: "Meningitis."
Nemours KidsHealth: "Meningococcal Vaccines for Kids & Teens."
HealthyChildren.org: "Meningococcal Disease in Preteens, Teens & Young Adults."
UCLA Health: "Ask the Doctors: How Contagious Is Bacterial Meningitis?"
NHS Inform: "Meningitis."
