Welcome to the House of Meningitis

Fever, vomiting, drowsiness, irritability, muscle pain, headache, a stiff neck, photophobia, seizures, a rash are all symptoms of meningitis, and just like in their party house, they can appear in any order in your body and some may not appear at all!
Maybe its meningitis.

Look after yourself and your friends. Be aware of all these symptoms. Someone with meningitis *can get a lot worse very quickly. 
Trust your instincts, get medical help straight away.

Fever
A high temperature is common with lots of illnesses, but if you have a fever and some of the other symptoms, it could be meningitis. 

Vomiting
Throwing up can happen if you have eaten something dodgy, or you've had a night out..  But, it can also be a symptom of meningitis.

 
Drowsy
Life can be tiring. If you feel very drowsy or weaker than normal and like you can’t keep awake, although you’ve slept all day, this could be a symptom of meningitis.

Irritable
Along with being confused, being properly grumpy can be a symptom of meningitis! Does your friend have all the symptoms of the flu or a hangover, but they seem weirdly out of it and moody?

  
Muscle Pain
Really bad aches and pains, but haven’t been to the gym? It could be another symptom.

Diarrhoea
Not many people know that an upset stomach can be a sign of meningitis! If you’ve had a jippy stomach, and it’s not from something on the turn in your fridge, maybe it’s a symptom of meningitis.

Headache
We are not talking a normal ache. If your headache is like nothing you’ve experienced before and is getting worse maybe its meningitis.

Stiff Neck
Watch out for a stiff sore neck.

Photophobia
Bright lights hurting your eyes? If you cannot stand the light and are feeling unwell, maybe its meningitis?

Seizures
If a friend has a convulsions or seizures for the first time –something isn’t right. Get medical help straight away.

Rash 
Everyone has heard of the rash but not everyone gets a rash. When it does appear, it may look like tiny red “pin pricks” which can develop to look like bruising.  Do not wait for a rash, if someone is ill and getting worse, get medical help immediately.

Meningitis is rare, but it does happen amongst students and young people. Meningitis and septicaemia are life-threatening and require urgent medical attention. If you or your friends have symptoms, get medical help immediately. Look out for each other. Maybe its meningitis.

*Meningitis is used to describe meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia.

House of Meningitis was the result of a collaborative animation project with Meningitis Now's Young Ambassadors and Postcard Productions. 

Funded by an unrestricted grant from: