I wonder if you can help us. I am a student at Southampton Solent University, doing a degree in Film and Television. I am currently producing a short piece on the threat Meningitis poses for students - one of the most at risk age groups with 1 in 10 teenagers carrying meningococcal bacteria. Shockingly there is a lack of knowledge among the student community, which is where we were hoping you could help us.
We would like some people who would be willing to talk to us about their own experiences of the disease, how it has affected them and the people around them. In hope that listening to other peoples accounts will encourage students in taking more precautions, and to be more aware of the symptoms.
We promise that anything you say to us will be kept in strictest confidence, and your names will not be used.
If you are interested in helping us raise awareness of meningitis please contact me on:
1 in 10? I thought meningitus was rare (I'm in the USA). I don't have meningitus, but many diseases will probably become epidemics now with the genetically modified foods, chemical additives, polluted water and chemicals from factories. You could probably find a lot of detailed testimonials on Youtube.com.
This is one of the videos from Youtube.com.
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About This Video Headaches -A few comments that may save a life.... (more)
Headaches -A few comments that may save a life.
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An acute headache may not be as simple as it seems. Though most types of headaches are due to tension and/or migraine, infrequently that can represent serious life threatening conditions. For tension headaches, I usually recommend that my patients take Acetaminophen (Tylenol®/generic), Diphenhydramine (Sominex®), sedating, and caffeine if patient is healthy. Tension headaches are usually long-term, non-progressive and recur in the same form and often due to specific stressors.
A patient with chronic tension/migraine headaches, however, may develop a new, unrelated, type of headache that may be due to a serious condition. If febrile (with fever), always consider Meningitis.
The acute onset of the "worst headache ever" may be a life threatening intracranial hemorrhage, as from a ruptured aneurysm. At times, these patients may experience warning headaches that may become suddenly fatal. In 2006 (circa), an African-American singer had been experiencing warning headaches and died a week later from a brain hemorrhage. Sharon Stone, Actress, was properly diagnosed and survived a subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding around the brain membrane). These headaches can be severe and sudden. For this reason, I encourage my patients to avoid drugs that may promote bleeding, like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil®/Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®) and other NSAIDs. Usually a CT-Scan is diagnostic, but there are a few exceptions.
Throughout my medical career, I had a chance to review various types of legal medical cases that have resulted in death. In one case, a migrant worker in Walla Walla fainted while at work. The emergency room physician felt that his nuchal (neck) rigidity (stiffness) was due to a cervical muscle strain. He died a few days after he saw another provider. He had an intracranial hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm.
Brain tumors are often associated with headaches, which may be worse in the morning, or with exertion and may be postural (worse when supine). These headaches are typically progressive to the extent of becoming more severe with time and are associated with nausea and vomiting. Clinicians must be able to readily examine the eye through the pupil since papilledema (edema of the optic disk) is usually present. I have seen a few patients with brain tumors whereby vomiting preceded the headache by a few weeks (i.e., posterior fossa brain tumors).
Bacterial meningitis in otherwise healthy patients is usually associated with a fever, visual sensitivity to light (photophobia) and nuchal rigidity (reliably tested after 18 months of age). Neisseria meningitidis can cause fulminant meningococcal meningitis. Most cases of meningococcal meningitis are preventable by vaccination.
Clinicians must know about other types of headaches the include sinusitis, pseudotumor cerebri, temporal arteritis, glaucoma and malignant hypertension. Malignant hypertension can be associated with papilledema. Neurocysticercosis may present with acute obstructive hydrocephalus Neurocysticercosis or new onset of seizures in patients from Latin America.
One patient I had used to experience coital (periorgasmically) headaches. These are either infrequent or patients are too embarrassed to report it.
In terms of Ocular Emergencies, clinicians must read about these common emergencies and be ready to diagnose, treat and/or refer such patients.
2007 Luis Lomeli MD (less)
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Don't drink diet soda or anything with Aspertame. Anything that weakens the body will reduce the chances of recovery, but aspertame, MSG, and any flavor enhancer is bad for the brain (aspertame deteriorates the myelin sheath of the brain).
I haven't heard about it being a problem yet in the U.S., it's probably just a matter of time. I didn't realize that a simple headache could be so serious.
please help!!!!!!!
please help!!!!!!! 
sarahxxx
17 y
3,922
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Re: please help!!!!!!! been there done that
17 y
3,783
