Meningococcal disease (including meningitis) is serious. But there are simple things a person can do to reduce the risk of getting sick.
Talk to your family — especially if you have teenage and college-aged children — and make sure they take steps to help protect themselves.
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What you can do to lower the risk |
While no method is 100 percent effective in preventing meningitis, these tips can help lower a person’s chances of becoming sick.
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Eat and sleep well |
Eating well and getting plenty of rest helps keep the immune system strong, which may help prevent a person from catching diseases like meningitis.
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Manage stress |
From the prom to the SATs to leaving for college — many adolescents don’t know how to handle stress. This may hurt their immune systems, making them more prone to diseases such as meningitis. Keeping stress under control can help keep the immune system strong.
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Don’t smoke |
Cigarette smoke doesn’t just hurt the lungs; studies show that smoking and being around smoke is a known risk factor for meningitis.
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Don’t share |
More to the point, don’t share things other people have put in, on, or near their mouths. Since the bacteria that cause meningitis enter the body through the nose and mouth, avoid sharing drinks, food, lipstick, etc.
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Get vaccinated |
In the United States, as many as 83 percent of meningitis cases in adolescents and young adults could be prevented by a single vaccination.
3 Vaccination has been around since the late 1970s. Recently, the FDA licensed a new vaccine. The vaccine protects against 4 of the 5 common strains of bacteria that cause meningococcal disease.
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Vaccination is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
15 If you are a parent, ask your child’s health-care provider if vaccination is right for your child.
