Risk factors
We talked a lot about the cause of meningitis in the previous paragraph. It is now time to talk about the secret ingredient that mainly determines the course of the disease and, even in many cases, whether the infection will occur or not. The risk factors are specific features present in the individual that make him or her more susceptible to infection.
Here are the famous risk factors for meningitis:
» Age: This is the famous risk factor for any disease; being too old or too young makes your immune system not qualified to stop the infection from occurring. Babies still have not a well-developed immune system, and older adults with fragile health have a weakened immune system for many reasons. Getting old, T lymphocytes’ function decreases, the number of antibodies decreases, affects all of the aspects of the immune system, and macrophages become slower. Old age also comes with a disease that contributes to the state of low immunity like diabetes.
» Certain medical conditions: Being free from disease will make your immune system available and ready for any upcoming infection; this will lower your risk of getting an infection, in this case, by meningitis. On the other hand, the risk is higher if you have a medical condition that affects your immune system like diabetes or take a particular medication that has the same effect of lowering your body’s ability to fight the infection like chemotherapy. It is also higher if you have a medical condition that by itself can cause inflammation in different parts of your body which includes the meninges.
» Proximity: Staying near an infected person with meningitis will increase the probability of getting meningitis. Many people do not choose to be near an infected person, but they are obliged to do. This is especially true for low-socioeconomic people who live in very crowded slums, facilitating the spread of meningitis. Low income and social insecurity will also cause your immune system to become vulnerable, as you do not get enough nutrients to work in the optimal condition. Low awareness also increases the risk of infection, as people will not have a clue about the cause of the symptoms their child has. Even worse, they will start to treat the symptoms with very primitive and unscientific methods, so the mortality rate for meningitis is very high in African countries.
