How to Prevent Meningitis in Your Teen?

Meningitis is a rare but fatal bacterial infection that can cause severe brain and spinal cord swelling. In most of the cases among teens and college, students may potentially be prevented through immunization as it is one of the effective ways to prevent this health condition.

Protect your child from meningitis

Teens are more prone to get infected with meningitis, a potentially serious, bacterial infection that spreads in communal areas. Teens are more susceptible to infection at places like dorms and classrooms. Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, a thin lining which covers the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can be bacterial, fungal, viral or parasitic in nature.  If you find a case of meningitis at your kid’s camp, keep calm and consider these ways to equip your teen with preventive measures:

• • Wash hands
    It is quite possible to prevent a majority of infectious and contagious diseases by properly washing hands and practicing it routinely. Meningitis germs spread through the air and present on items an infected individual has touched. Your teen can easily catch up with these germs by touching that item and end up in his/her nose and mouth. This allows the microbes to make their way into the body from there. Therefore, it is essential to wash hands and keep them clean to help prevent the spread of meningitis. Remind your child about washing hands regularly, particularly after using the toilet and before eating food.
  • Avoid sharing
    Every parent taught his/her kid about sharing habit when they were little which is a good idea. But it does not apply during the case of meningitis, as it is very risky to share personal belongings and items because the infection spread by sharing lipsticks, gloss, toothbrushes, utensils, with an infected person. Sharing personal items is a sure way to get infected therefore it is necessary to tell your teen to have his/her own set of personal items and say no to everyone who wants to use them.

• • Healthy snacks
    The bacteria tend to attack the body the most when the body’s immune system is weak and unable to fight a disease. You can help improve your teen boost his/her immunity by making sure he/she is eating healthy snacks such as whole grain crackers, cereals, low sugar granola bars, apple, bananas, pouches of salmon or tuna. Pureed fruits and veggies, beef jerky, or bottled water.

• • Get vaccinated
    The best and easy way to protect from meningitis is get your teen vaccinated. There are two types of meningococcal vaccinations available, namely meningococcal conjugate vaccine and meningococcal B vaccine. The meningococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for children of the age of 11 to 12, while the meningococcal B vaccine is available for older teens who need additional protection.

• • Have a good sleep
    Adequate sleep is another natural preventive measure to prevent this infectious disorder. Provide your teens with the following four items to help promote enough sleep:

1. 1. 1. Eye pillow masks
      2. Oil containing eucalyptus or lavender
      3. Chamomile tea bags
      4. Earplugs

• • Avoid touching face
    Tell your teens not to touch their nose, eyes, and mouth as these are the entryways for the bacteria and viruses that ultimately lead to meningitis. Tell them to keep their hands off from the face. Also, ask them to avoid biting nails to prevent the bacterial infection.
  • Maintain cleanliness – Let your children know about the importance of cleanliness, tell them to do good cleaning habits to keep them from getting sick. Children can catch up these germs by touching contaminated surfaces like a computer mouse, doorknobs, pens, or toilet doors. Parents are advised to clean such surfaces with disinfectants to kill germs.

• • Avoid getting too close
    Ask your child to stay away from a person who is sick because of meningitis bacteria or viruses spread through coughing, sneezing, and even kissing.

• • Discuss antibiotic use
    If your teen has been in contact with an infected person, meningitis medicine such as an antibiotic can help prevent your kid from getting sick. Antibiotics work only for bacterial meningitis. You can order meningitis medicine online to protect your teen’s health.

Also Read: Important Facts About the Ebola virus disease (EVD)