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A 23-year-old fitness influencer’s vacation took a scary turn after she suddenly fell seriously ill in Bali.
Australian fitness trainer Khiana Smith said in a TikTok video that she was hospitalized after developing severe headaches and sensitivity to light. She later revealed in another video that she had been diagnosed with meningitis.
Smith said she knew something was wrong when she woke up with what she described as the “worst headache.”
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“I couldn’t even get out of bed,” Smith said in the TikTok video. “It was so intense that I couldn’t even open my eyes properly. I was very sensitive to light. I couldn’t get up without falling.”
She initially waited to see if she would feel better, but said she woke up the next morning feeling “10 times worse.” She was eventually taken to hospital by ambulance, where tests revealed the infection.
Australian fitness trainer Khiana Smith, pictured, said in a TikTok video that she was hospitalized after being diagnosed with meningitis. (Khiana Smith/Instagram)
Dr. Alfred Joshua, a board-certified emergency physician and former surgeon general based in California, told Fox News Digital that Smith’s reported symptoms included several warning signs that should be taken seriously.
“She started having symptoms of severe headaches and having difficulty with light,” Joshua said. “And then she started having difficulty walking, and then she started having difficulty speaking.”
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Meningitis occurs when the protective layers surrounding the brain and spinal cord become inflamed, according to Joshua.
Symptoms may include headache, fever, neck stiffness, and sensitivity to light. Difficulty walking or speaking, confusion and extreme fatigue are more serious signs that should require immediate medical attention, Joshua said.
Khiana Smith, pictured left, was on holiday in Bali, pictured right, when she fell seriously ill and was later diagnosed with meningitis. (Khiana Smith/Instagram; iStock)
The severity of the disease may also depend on its cause.
Joshua said viral meningitis often resolves on its own, while bacterial meningitis can progress quickly and requires prompt treatment with antibiotics.
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“Some strain for a few hours can make the person really, really sick,” he said.
Initially, doctors weren’t sure if her meningitis was bacterial or viral, according to Smith, so she was treated for the bacterial form as a precaution.
Viral meningitis often resolves on its own, while bacterial meningitis can progress quickly and requires prompt antibiotic treatment. (iStock)
Smith’s condition later appeared to improve enough that she was able to leave the intensive care unit, but she said she had to return there after continuing to experience headaches, sensitivity to light and slurred speech. She also reported memory loss and said swelling in her brain made it difficult for her to return home.
When meningitis is suspected, Joshua said doctors can use blood tests, brain imaging and a spinal tap to determine whether the infection is bacterial, viral or caused by something else.
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Smith’s experience highlighted the concern of travelers who become seriously ill far from home.
Joshua said recommended vaccines can protect against some forms of bacterial meningitis and advised travelers to consider insurance that includes medical evacuation coverage.
“It was so intense I couldn’t even open my eyes properly.”
Smith’s mother also highlighted the importance of travel insurance, saying her daughter’s hospital costs were covered because she had taken out an insurance policy before leaving Australia.
Joshua said worsening symptoms, including changes in speaking, walking or other brain functions, should not be ignored.
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“When symptoms progress in a more complicated way with neurological dysfunction, don’t wait and see that,” he said. “Go get quick emergency treatment.”
Fox News Digital has contacted Smith for comment.
Gn Health
