Symptoms in young people

Get it sussed.

Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours

Remember, vaccines can't prevent all forms.

You're fit and healthy - you think it's only flu, a hangover or the effects of a heavy night out, but don't just leave it.
 

• Check out the symptoms
• If you're feeling really bad, tell someone
• If a mate's looking rough, stick around
• If it gets worse fast, get medical help immediately

Symptoms can appear in any order.

Someone who feels really ill needs medical help even if they have no rash or a rash that fades. Not everyone gets all these symptoms.

• Meningitis and septicaemia can be hard to recognise at first. Symptoms can appear in any order, but the first symptoms are usually fever, vomiting, headache and feeling unwell, just like many mild illnesses
• Red ticks show symptoms that are more specific to meningitis and septicaemia and less common in milder illnesses. Limb pain and cold hands and feet often appear earlier than a rash, neck stiffness, photophobia and confusion.
• Not everyone gets all these symptoms
• Septicaemia can occur with or without meningitis
• In some cases of meningitis, a rash may not appear

Watch out for tiny red or brown pin prick marks which can change into purple blotches or blood blisters.

Early stages of septicaemia (blood poisoning) (picture courtesy Dr A Riordan)	Typical rash of septicaemia (picture courtesy Dr A Riordan)	Septicaemic rash on conjunctiva (picture courtesy D A Warrell)

Septicaemic rash on black skin

A septicaemic rash can be harder to see on dark skin, so check for spots over the whole body, especially on paler areas like palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, on the stomach, inside the eyelids (conjunctiva) and on the roof of the mouth (palate).

Tumbler test for septicaemia

If a glass tumbler is pressed firmly against a septicaemic rash, the marks will not fade. You will be able to see the rash through the glass. If this happens get medical advice immediately. It is harder to see on dark skin, so check paler areas. Remember someone who is very ill needs medical help even if they have no rash or a rash that fades.

^{Picture courtesy Prof P Brandtzaeg}

• 1 in 10 of us at any time carry the bacteria which cause these diseases and this is usually harmless
• We pass them on by close contact, such as kissing
• In a very few people the bacteria gets into the blood stream and cause meningitis and/or septicaemia
• We don't know who is at risk - so get the symptoms sussed - you could save a life.

If you would like to order further information for your university, college, school or home click here .

Meningitis Research Foundation relies on public support to fund our vital work. To help us achieve our vision of a world free from meningitis and septicaemia click here . If you are a student click here .

If you'd like to see the NHS leaflet Don't Ignore the Signs, it can be downloaded here:

• Don't Ignore the Signs