Syndrome of intracranial hypertension

Intracranial hypertension is a condition in which pressure builds up inside the skull. Pathology negatively affects the state of the entire brain.

Inside the skull is a cerebrospinal fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. Under the influence of certain factors, cerebrospinal fluid begins to be actively produced, but slowly absorbed. Because of this, the contents of the skull increase and begin to strongly press on its walls.

There are many reasons for this pathology. According to statistics, it affects men more often than women. But for both sexes, this disease is equally dangerous.

Why does the pressure inside the skull increase?

The disease can occur due to tumors or hematomas in the brain. In this case, it develops because the neoplasms gradually increase in size and begin to put pressure on the surrounding tissues. The brain begins to resist - the pressure increases.

Pathology can also occur due to inflammation of the meninges (meningitis) and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). This dangerous disease can be caused by an equally serious problem - dropsy of the brain or hydrocephalus.

Often the pressure rises due to traumatic brain injury.

The conclusion is that the syndrome of intracranial hypertension is caused by diseases that provoke cerebral edema.

This pathology can affect both adults and children.

In children, the disease develops if:

• the child was born with some kind of malformation;
• pregnancy or labor activity proceeded with complications;
• the child experienced prolonged oxygen starvation;
• preterm birth has taken place;
• during pregnancy, an infection got into the uterus.

For adults, the chances of developing pathology increase problems such as:

• heart failure;
• chronic lung diseases;
• violation of blood circulation in the jugular veins;
• the presence of fluid in the pericardial cavity.

How does intracranial hypertension manifest itself?

Intracranial hypertension in each case has different manifestations. Therefore, there are many signs of the disease.

You can suspect high pressure in the skull by the following symptoms.

1. Nausea and vomiting, especially in the morning.
2. Emotional disorder.
3. Bruising under the eyes. At the same time, the person does not overwork and sleeps normally. If you look closely, you can see dilated vessels inside the bruise.
4. Severe headaches and a feeling of heaviness. For this disease, a characteristic feature is that the head begins to hurt when a person sleeps or in the morning. This is because when a person is in a horizontal position, the cerebrospinal fluid begins to be produced more actively, and since its absorption is slowed down, the pressure rises.
5. Strong feeling of tiredness. It occurs even when a person does not subject the body to mental or physical stress.
6. arterial hypertension. These are sharp jumps in pressure, due to which sweating increases, the heartbeat increases and the state approaches pre-syncope.
7. Deterioration of well-being with sudden changes in the weather. The situation is especially aggravated when atmospheric pressure decreases.
8. Deterioration of the quality of sexual life as a result of a decrease in sexual desire.

Some of these symptoms relate only to this pathology of the brain, while others are characteristic of other diseases. In any case, if any of these signs are present, it is necessary to undergo an examination. This will help avoid serious complications.

In children, this disease manifests itself a little differently. Newborns may not have any symptoms at the beginning of the progression of hypertension. It is connected with the fontanel. Due to it, for some time the brain feels less pressure.

In the future, the presence of pathology can be suspected by noticing the following symptoms:

• the child does not take the breast well and sucks slowly;
• constant sleepiness;
• the size of the head increases rapidly;
• vomit;
• the fontanel swells, becomes convex and does not pulsate;
• cranial sutures diverge;
• muscle tone increases, convulsions occur;
• the optic nerve atrophies.

In children older than one year, in which the fontanel and cranial sutures are closed, hypertension is manifested by a severe headache that occurs in attacks in the morning. Because of the pain, vomiting may occur, but there is no relief.

At the beginning of the progression of the disease, the child is restless, gradually there is a feeling of lethargy.

Older children may complain of the following sensations:

• lack of appetite and nausea;
• difficulty concentrating;
• blurred vision or hearing;
• difficulty breathing and slow pulse;
• severe headaches.

If there is no treatment, then the child may develop mental retardation, blindness, paralysis.

benign hypertension

Benign intracranial hypertension deserves special attention. It is considered a temporary condition that arose under the influence of certain factors.

Benign intracranial hypertension is not as serious as the syndrome.

This condition is caused not by diseases that contribute to cerebral edema, but by factors such as:

• bearing a child;
• excess or lack of vitamins in the body;
• abrupt cessation of the use of certain drugs;
• overweight;
• violations of the monthly cycle;
• vitamin A abuse.

The problem arises due to the fact that the cerebrospinal fluid begins to be slowly absorbed.

Those with benign intracranial hypertension often suffer from headaches. Unpleasant sensations become more intense when the patient moves. Unpleasant sensations intensify if a person begins to cough or sneeze. This condition is different in that the patient's consciousness is not oppressed, and the problem usually goes away without any treatment.

If this does not happen, then the specialist may prescribe diuretics. This will reduce the amount of fluid in the body and speed up the healing process.

In severe cases, a lumbar puncture and the use of hormonal drugs may be necessary.

How is hypertension diagnosed and treated?

Previously, intracranial hypertension was measured by inserting a pressure-measuring device into the skull or spine. But this procedure is quite dangerous, so it was stopped.

The following activities are currently underway.

1. Assign magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and radiography of the bones of the skull, rheoencephalography. Rheoencephalography allows you to determine the presence of abnormalities in the work of the brain. If the study shows that there are violations, we can talk about hypertension.
2. The patient is examined by a neurologist.
3. Check the condition of the fundus.
4. A lumbar puncture is performed.
5. Children who still have an open fontanel may have an ultrasound of the brain.

The fact that this is really intracranial hypertension can be understood if:

• the veins of the fundus are dilated and tortuous;
• the cerebral fluid is rarefied, and the fluid cavities are dilated. This can be seen on x-rays or magnetic resonance imaging. MRI is the most informative method. With its help, you can get the most accurate information about the state of the brain;
• venous blood leaves the cranial cavity worse. Such data is provided by ultrasound of the vessels;
• pulse wave is reduced.

Therapy of the disease

Cerebral hypertension is treated in several ways. To achieve a stable result, it is necessary to eliminate the factors that provoked the development of pathology.

Hypertension of the brain can be cured with medications, special operations or traditional methods.

If the disease has affected an infant, then diuretics are dispensed with. Treatment is carried out with the help of massage and nootropic drugs. In some cases, hypertension may go away without treatment.

To prevent the disease from returning after the end of therapy, the patient should drink a limited amount of fluid and eat less salty foods. It is also necessary to control body weight, give up bad habits and go in for sports.

If the drugs did not bring the desired result, then surgical treatment is prescribed. To lower the pressure, lumbar punctures are prescribed.

Also, to bring the pressure back to normal, bypass surgery can be performed.

Shunting is of several types:

• lumboperitoneal;
• ventriculoperitoneal;
• ventriculoatrial.

Many people believe that treating hypertension in this way is the most effective, since shunting allows you to permanently eliminate the manifestations of the disease, but there may be consequences (like infections).

If the pathology has affected the optic nerve, fenestration of the optic nerve sheath is prescribed. During the procedure, the doctor needs to open the nerve sheath and pump out excess fluid from there, this allows you to reduce pressure. But this operation will not affect the pressure inside the skull and may have negative consequences, including complete loss of vision. All possible complications should be discussed with the doctor before the operation.

For very serious cases, there is a special method of treatment. It consists in introducing a special drainage system into the cranium, which pumps out excess cerebrospinal fluid.

People who do not want to treat the disease with traditional methods turn to osteopathy and manual therapy. Also, cerebral hypertension can be treated with special gymnastics to lower pressure.

They also practice folk methods. Such therapy includes the use of decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs, which have the property of lowering pressure.

But such treatment can only remove the unpleasant symptoms of the disease and speed up recovery, as an independent remedy, decoctions and infusions do not work.

CSF hypertension can have serious consequences for a person. Due to the constantly increased pressure inside the skull, brain functions can be impaired. This can reduce intellectual abilities and disrupt the nervous regulation in the internal organs.

Lack of necessary treatment can lead to the following consequences:

• displacement of the brain, resulting in death;
• wedging of the brain into the occipital foramen, due to which a fatal outcome is also possible;
• atrophy of the optic nerve, which will lead to complete loss of vision.

Doctors recommend that patients with hypertension observe the following rules.

1. Do not exceed your daily fluid intake.
2. Drink diuretics, as well as teas and infusions that have such properties.
3. Do not neglect gymnastics and moderate physical activity.
4. Eat right, avoid fatty and salty foods.
5. Do not visit baths and saunas.
6. Take up swimming. It helps to reduce intracranial pressure.
7. Avoid abrupt changes in time zones and climate.

First aid for an attack

If an attack occurs during hypertension, it is necessary to call an ambulance and provide first aid to the patient.

• It is necessary to ensure the flow of oxygen into the body, freeing the airways.
• Lay the patient in bed on high pillows so that the head is raised. This will improve the outflow of venous blood.
• Limit fluid intake.

The brain is the most important organ. Any damage to it can have serious consequences, so it is very important to consult a neurologist at the first signs of the disease. If you start therapy when the brain is slightly damaged, you can completely get rid of the pathology. All types of hypertension are dangerous, so the symptoms should not be ignored, otherwise the result can be disability and even death.