meningitis

[Alice1]

There's been a lot in the news about freshers getting the meningitis vaccine. One week into uni and I haven't got it because I'm a forth year and don't qualify for the immunisation.

I have temple pain on one side of my head and a alight headache and now feel a bit nauseous.

I'm worried that I have meningitis but also am aware its likely to be just nothing.

You hear of people ignoring symptoms or not having obvious symptoms and dying quickly and I'm very scared.

Can anyone tell me what to do?

[bukendaa]

Hey mate...Meningitus is a big worry of mine to...didnt even know they had a vac...I got some mingacocel vacs when i was young..might have to look into it...Go ask a GP...it could be you're age is a factor also... . Ask a gp and see what he says.

I was visiting someone in hospital...the room next to me he had meningitis...he was 10 hours from contracting it and couldn't even stay conscious...you have it you know about it..quickly

[axolotl]

I had a very bad case of bacterial meningitis when I was a teenager - trust me it is not a slight headache. And a headache is just one of a suite of symptoms. And let's put it this way, it's not one you'd be worried about for a few days with vague symptoms - you get ill very quickly.

If you're worried and not sure when a cold, flu or hangover is something to worry about, why not talk to your university health centre about the signs and symptoms, so you're more educated about what level of concern to have and when to spot the signs more accurately? While it pays to be vigilant and be clued up about these things, it's a rare enough disease to not to waste your university career in a state of anxiety about - you'll have a lot of headaches due to stress and hangovers!

[Alice1]

Thanks guys, Surprisingly turns out it wasn't meningitis haha. You're all wonderfully helpful, much love.

Severity is so easily blown out of proportion with anxiety, but I think deep down I would know if I was truly sick. I have such heart anxiety at the mo, but do so much intense exercise and have had so many tests that I'm very unlikely to die, so just need to trust the instincts underneath the panic

[unsure_about_this]

Hi Alice

I have known two people who have had this awful disease, one was my cousin she was about 12 months old, but is fine now years later, one of my mums friends daughter her Dad saw something on her arm which he did not like the look of when she was about five, had the parents not taken action she would have died.

We did have a case in school. so we were given a symptom bullet and a letter, so we were all given shots, this was years ago but still remember it.