"Don't wait for a rash": Meningitis symptoms to look out for following death of Jeff Beck
We're being reminded to look out for the signs of Meningitis, following the death of one of Britain's most influential rock guitarists.
Last updated 12th Jan 2023
Jeff Beck died at the age of 78 after contracting bacterial Meningitis.
Greatest Hits Radio previously spoke to 31 year old Ipek Seyis, a veterinary nurse from Essex, about her experience with the illness.
She contracted bacterial Meningitis in May 2021 - and suffered from migraines, nausea and sensitivity to light.
"It was a gradual build up over two to three days where I've been having these headaches and it was similar to the headaches that you get when you're slightly dehydrated or run down," said Ipek.
"So I thought just need to drink some more water. I had a six month old son at the time, so running after him everywhere. So I kind of just put those headaches down to that.
"And then they started turning into migraines. So I took paracetamol and then in the evening, I got the most excruciating headache I think I've ever experienced in my life. It was pressure all around and it was such a searing pain that I thought any kind of pressure, like if I cough, it felt like something was about to snap in my head.
"I felt really, really nauseous.
"My eyes, I couldn't open them. They were very, very sensitive to any kind of light, and it would just kind of aggravate all my symptoms.
"So I got to A&E and I ended up collapsing in the waiting room and I got rushed in, had blood taken. And that's when they suspected Meningitis because my infection levels were through the roof. I think they're meant to be under eight and mine were 142.
"A lot of people have described it as kind of like the symptoms of a beginnings of a cold - the headaches, the tiredness and the dizziness and the nausea for sure.
"Even if you think you're gonna come across as paranoid, just go and get checked out because it is not worth waiting.
"Get it checked out as soon as you can, and definitely don't wait for a rash. Everyone associates Meningitis with the rash, but I think that's when it's progressed into septicemia as well.
"It's not something I've ever associated adults to be having, but no, it absolutely can happen to anyone.
"I went through a lot of the stories after mine and I found that a lot more people my age on 'Meningitis Now' were also reporting that they had contracted bacterial or viral Meningitis, so it is very much at any age.
"It can happen and so just be really familiar with all the signs and if anything just doesn't feel right - any gut instinct - you have just follow it."