Increased intracranial pressure

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Causes of increased intracranial pressure (Cherepnoy davleniya)

Why does the pressure in the brain increase? There are many factors that can cause this condition, but the most common cause is a disruption of the flow of spinal fluid through the cerebral canals.

First, we learn what intracranial pressure is. Inside the skull are not only nerve cells, but also spinal fluid, which makes up 1/10 of the total skull organs, which is called liquor. This fluid is mainly located in the ventricles of the brain, that is, in the space in the center, it also circulates between the soft and retinal membranes of the brain. The cerebrospinal fluid is also present in the spinal canal.

The function of the liquor is different. It protects the soft tissues of the brain, provides water-salt metabolism, removes toxins and harmful substances from the brain and cleanses it. Most importantly, the cerebrospinal fluid creates internal pressure in the brain. While 2/3 of the cerebrospinal fluid is formed in the ventricles of the brain itself, the rest comes through the blood. The liquor is completely renewed for a week.

Intracranial pressure is usually measured in millimeters of mercury or millimeters of water. The norm for an adult is 3-15 mm sim.ust. Physically, this indicator shows how many millimeters of cerebrospinal fluid pressure is above atmospheric pressure. In children, the pressure is lower than in adults. If this pressure is higher than normal, it indicates an increase in intracranial pressure. 30 mm.sim.ust of intracranial pressure. can lead to irreversible processes, and even death can be observed. How can intracranial pressure be measured, since it is not measured as blood pressure? To measure the intracranial pressure, a special instrumental examination is required, which is performed only in an inpatient setting.

Signs of increased intracranial pressure (Cherepnoy davleniya symptoms)

The following symptoms can be observed when the intracranial pressure increases:

• Headache;

• Visual deficiencies;

• Dizziness;

• Memory impairment;

• Drowsiness;

• Instability of blood pressure (hypertension, hypotension);

• Nausea, vomiting;

• Rapid fatigue;

• Excessive sweating;

• Trembling;

• Excitability;

• Depression;

• Deterioration of mood;

• Increased skin sensitivity;

• Pain in the spinal area;

• Respiratory disorders;

• Shortness of breath;

• Muscle paralysis;

If the above symptoms are observed from time to time, it is not only an indication of an increase in intracranial pressure, the same symptoms can be observed in other diseases.

The most common symptom in this disease is headache. Unlike a migraine, when the intracranial pressure increases, the pain covers the entire head and is not unilateral. The pain usually occurs in the morning or evening, and is exacerbated when you hit your head, move your head, or cough. Taking analgesics does not leave pain.

One of the symptoms is defects in vision - dullness of the image, blurring, impaired peripheral vision, haze around the eyes, decreased sensitivity to light. Such pathological conditions result from compression of the optic nerve as a result of increased intracranial pressure. In addition, the shape of the eyeball can change, the eyeball swells to such an extent that even the patient can not close his eyes with the eyelids, the color of the eyelids turns blue.

Nausea and vomiting are also common in increased intracranial pressure. The patient does not feel relief after vomiting.

There are also cases of short-term increase in intracranial pressure in healthy people by 2-3 times. For example, coughing, sneezing, physical exertion, bending, stress, and so on. However, the intracranial pressure immediately returns to normal, if this is not the case, then a chronic increase in intracranial pressure is observed.

Signs of increased intracranial pressure in children

How does this disease occur in children? Children in infancy, in particular, are unable to predict changes in themselves. Therefore, the diagnosis is made based on some symptoms:

• Weakness;

• Crying a lot;

• Sleep disorders;

• Return;

• The presence of hydrothorax;

• Disproportionate movement of the eye;

• Swelling and pulsation of the ligaments;

• Increased head volume (hydrocephalus);

• Disproportionate muscle tone - some groups of muscles are shortened, some muscles are relaxed;

• Swelling of blood vessels under the scalp.

Attention! Bleeding from the nose, hiccups, sleep disturbances, increased agitation are not indicative of an increase in intracranial pressure.

Detection of increased intracranial pressure

It is difficult to accurately measure intracranial pressure, which requires a qualified professional, a sterile room, and extreme caution. In this case, the direct interventricular fluid is punctured.

It is also possible to study the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid, its composition, from the spinal cord through the spinal cord. This test is performed when pathologies caused by infection are suspected.

The most common safe inspection methods include:

• UTT (UZI);

• MRT;

• Computed tomography (CT);

These studies show changes in the brain and surrounding tissues that lead to increased intracranial pressure. These changes include:

• Dilation or narrowing of the ventricles of the brain;

• Tumors;

• Expansion of the gaps between the curtains;

• Bleeding or tumors;

• Interference of brain structures;

Another of the results of an effective examination is encephalography. It determines the activity of cells in different areas of the brain. Doppler UTT examination detects changes in cerebral blood vessels and also identifies the pathology (thrombus, embolic obstruction) that causes an increase in intracranial pressure.

Another informative examination method is to examine the fundus. This can be seen as an increase in intracranial pressure. We can see enlargement of the eyeball, swelling of the optic nerve to the retina, and rupture of small blood vessels.

Causes of increased intracranial pressure (Causes of cerebral palsy)

What causes an increase in intracranial pressure in adults? The fact is that the increase in intracranial pressure occurs as a complication of this secondary disease, which is not a separate disease. It is caused by the following factors:

• Trauma to the skull and brain;

• Inflammatory diseases of the meninges (encephalitis, meningitis);

• Obesity;

• Hypertension;

• Hyperthermia;

• Diseases of the adrenal glands;

• Liver disease with encephalopathy;

• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;

• Cysts, abscesses, helminths in the brain;

• Stroke.

Increased intracranial pressure as a result of infectious diseases:

• Otitis;

• Bronchitis;

• Mastoiditis;

• Malaria.

When taking drugs:

• Corticosteroids;

• Antibiotics (biseptol and tetracycline);

• Hormonal contraceptives.

These factors, which increase the internal pressure of the brain, increase the formation of cerebrospinal fluid, can disrupt its circulation, reduce its absorption.

Hereditary predisposition also contributes to the development of this disease. Birth trauma in infants, hypoxia during pregnancy, toxicosis, and premature birth increase the risk of developing this disease. Lack of oxygen to the fetus causes a compensatory mechanism in the body to produce more cerebrospinal fluid, which leads to hydrocephalus.

Complications of increased intracranial pressure

Chronic increased intracranial pressure can lead to serious complications, even disability.

These include:

• Stroke;

• Dislocations in movement as a result of brain injury;

• Weakening of reflexes, the appearance of arrhythmias due to oppression of the brainstem;

• Paralysis;

• Speech defects;

• Mental changes;

• Blindness;

• Epilepsies.

In some cases, the disease can even end in death.

Spontaneous increase in intracranial pressure, even without treatment, is often observed - a condition that is called a well-progressed disease. A well-predicted increase in intracranial pressure is often due to overweight in young women. Therefore, if you have any of the above symptoms, consult your doctor without saying "I have a good prognosis."

Treatment of cerebral hypertension (treatment of cerebral palsy)

What to do if the above diagnosis is made? If we consider that the increase in intracranial pressure is a secondary disease, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of its origin. For example, treatment of atherosclerosis, hypertension, osteochondrosis, hormonal imbalance. Symptomatic treatment should also not be forgotten.

Once intracranial pressure is detected, treatment is prescribed only by a physician. Treatment measures are divided into two: conservative and operative.

In conservative treatment, treatments such as improving cerebrospinal fluid flow, improving blood circulation in the blood vessels to reduce intracranial pressure are performed using drugs. The main drugs prescribed are diuretics (furosemide, diacarb), steroid anti-inflammatory drugs to remove the tumor if signs of tumor or meningitis are detected. Potassium-sparing drugs (asparkam) are also used to improve venous blood flow. Studies show that nootropic drugs have no effect on increasing intracranial pressure.

In adults, physiotherapy (magnetic exposure to the gates of the brain, electrophoresis), massage of the neck area, therapeutic exercises, acupuncture and taking a special bath (shower) give good results. Such treatments are recommended only when there is an increase in intracranial pressure, which is not life-threatening.

In severe forms of the disease, surgical treatment is performed. The operation is performed on the basis of shunting of cerebrospinal fluid channels, that is, excess fluid in the brain flows into the abdominal cavity using a special tube. There are also disadvantages of this method, firstly, there is a risk of leaving these complications, and secondly, the inserted catheter (tube) may slip out of place. In children, as the height grows, the tube has to be replaced several times. Alternatively, the cerebrospinal fluid can be transferred between the membranes. This reduces the risk of complications.

In addition to basic treatment measures can also be used folk remedies. For example, hawthorn, eucalyptus, mint (myata), valerian can be used. Diet also plays a big role, you need to reduce your daily fluid intake (maximum 1,5 liters). Magnesium and potassium are high in preservatives - such as sea kale, buckwheat, beans, kiwi. At the same time it is necessary to reduce sodium-containing salts, meat products, especially animal fats, sweets. It is also important to maintain a normal body weight.

In the absence of disease, physical education should be practiced to prevent it. The most useful exercise is running and swimming. It is strictly forbidden to take a hot bath, smoke or drink alcohol during the disease. It is dangerous to have a body temperature above 38 C when the intracranial pressure increases, in which case it is necessary to immediately take antipyretic drugs. It is necessary to follow the schedule, get enough sleep on time, get enough sleep, rest on time, try not to strain the brain while watching TV.