What are the symptoms of intracranial hypertension? Intracranial hypertension is a disease in the process of development of which intracranial pressure rises, in other words, it is increased intracranial pressure. There are several factors under the influence of which such a pathological condition may appear. This can be either a disease or a brain injury, metabolic disorder, poisoning.
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of intracranial hypertension include:
- headache;
- nausea
- vomiting
- disturbances in the work of the organs of vision.
Additional manifestations of the disease may be observed. The severity of symptoms of intracranial hypertension depends on the cause and severity of the disease. To identify the ailment, a thorough medical examination is necessary. In the process of treatment, both conservative and surgical methods are used. If one of the symptoms of intracranial hypertension appears, you should immediately consult a doctor, since self-medication can provoke the development of serious health problems.
International Classification of Disease Code
Symptoms of intracranial hypertension (ICD-10 G93.2) include:
- migraine;
- feeling dizzy;
- vomiting
Additional symptoms may appear. It all depends on the severity of the pathology. Under such conditions, you can not drink tablets that are not recommended by a doctor.
The main symptoms of intracranial hypertension in children (ICD-10 code G93.6) are:
- cerebral edema;
- strong crying baby;
- disturbed sucking reflex.
Under such conditions, it is important to carry out a thorough diagnosis of the crumbs and begin treatment.
The main causes of the development of the disease
The human brain is located in the cavity of the skull, the size of which cannot be changed. Inside the skull are located not only brain tissue, but also cerebrospinal substance and blood. Together, these structures occupy an appropriate volume.
Cerebrospinal fluid is able to form in the cavity of the ventricle of the brain. It flows into the other part of the brain along the cerebrospinal fluid path. Partially absorbed into the bloodstream and flows into the subarachnoid zone of the spinal cord.
Blood circulates through the arterial and venous channels. If the volume of one of the fluid in the cranial cavity increases, then the pressure inside the skull rises. If violations occur during the circulation of the cerebrospinal substance, intracranial pressure rises. Such a phenomenon can occur in case of increased production and violation of its outflow. With stagnation of arterial blood, the blood circulation process is disrupted. If swelling occurs due to the development of a tumor, then the volume of brain tissue increases.
As a conclusion, we can say that such a pathological condition can appear for several reasons. Only after a thorough medical examination can a specialist identify the factor that influenced the development of the disease.
Among the main causes of intracranial hypertension are:
- head injury - concussion, bruise, intracranial hematoma, birth injury;
- circulatory disorders - acute or chronic form (stroke, thrombosis);
- the development of a tumor in the skull or its metastasis in other tissues;
- inflammatory process - with encephalitis, meningitis, abscess, intracranial pressure may increase;
- congenital anomaly of the brain of blood vessels, skulls;
- poisoning and metabolic disorder;
- pathology of the internal organs that disrupts blood circulation.
There are other reasons why intracranial hypertension may appear. Patients are often diagnosed with benign intracranial hypertension. With this diagnosis, pressure inside the skull appears for no apparent reason, so a favorable prognosis of treatment is observed. The main thing is to seek the help of a qualified specialist in a timely manner.
Due to the increase in intracranial pressure, nerve cells are compressed, which disrupts their functioning. Intracranial hypertension can manifest itself in the form of bursting diffuse headaches and unpleasant painful sensations in the head - felt at night or early in the morning, dull pains, which is accompanied by a feeling of pressure on the eyes from the inside.
How does the patient's well-being change during the development of pathology?
The causes and symptoms of intracranial hypertension should be discussed with your doctor, since it all depends on the specific case of the patient. During coughing, sneezing, straining, physical exertion, soreness intensifies.
Additionally appears:
- Dizziness. If the intracranial pressure slightly increases, then there is a heaviness in the head, nausea and vomiting. Such symptoms may occur suddenly. Vomiting begins regardless of any reason from the outside. Most often, the gag reflex occurs due to severe headaches. Such unpleasant symptoms are not related to food intake. Vomiting can be strong and fountain-like. After it, the patient does not feel a sense of relief, the headache does not decrease.
- There is increased fatigue and weakness during mental or physical exertion. Under such conditions, unmotivated nervousness, emotional instability, irritability and tearfulness occur.
- Meteosensitivity is a common symptom of intracranial hypertension. In this case, the patient does not tolerate the atmospheric pressure drop and the symptoms of the disease intensify.
- Vegetative disorders. Manifested in the form of sweating, pressure drops, palpitations.
- Vision is impaired - images are fuzzy and blurry. During the movement of the eyeball there is severe pain and discomfort.
The strength of symptoms of intracranial hypertension in adults depends on the severity of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient's body. In the process of developing a pathological condition, phenomena of intracranial hypertension increase.
What complications may arise?
If timely effective therapy is not carried out, then complications may occur, which manifest themselves in the form of:
- persistent, daily, morning vomiting against a background of severe headaches;
- during the day after vomiting, a strong hiccup may occur, which causes severe discomfort and interferes with the usual lifestyle;
- an increase in the suppression of mental function - there is inhibition, there is a violation of consciousness, there is an increase in blood pressure;
- generalized convulsions appear.
If one of the symptoms of intracranial hypertension has occurred in adults or children, it is important to immediately call an ambulance or go to the hospital, as these signs indicate that a complication is developing that could lead to death.
Signs of the disease indicate that the phenomena of cerebral edema are increasing. Under such conditions, infringement may occur, which often leads to the death of the patient. If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, then the process of visual impairment progresses.
First of all, a specialist should look at the fundus. With ophthalmoscopy, the doctor will reveal a congestive optic disc and its edema in the fundus. Minor hemorrhage in this area is possible. If this phenomenon of intracranial hypertension exists for a long time, then the quality of vision is impaired, and the lenses do not help to solve the problem. Due to atrophy of the optic nerve, complete blindness often occurs.
In the process of development of intracranial hypertension, bone changes form. The plate of the skull bone may become thinner and the back of the Turkish saddle may collapse. In the presence of phenomena of increased intracranial pressure, there may be no disturbance. Rarely does a doctor find a limitation of the abduction of the eyeball to the side, a change in the reflex, and a violation of cognitive function. But such symptoms are not specific, that is, they cannot indicate a specific disease.
Doctors Recommendations
In order to accurately determine the presence of an ailment, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive examination of the entire patient's body. At home, it is impossible to detect the presence or absence of the disease, so it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner. At the initial stage of the development of the disease, treatment is much faster and more effective. In order to prevent surgical intervention, you should visit qualified medical personnel in time and carry out a diagnosis.
Diagnostic measures
If there is a suspicion of an increase in intracranial pressure, a number of additional examinations are necessary. The standard complaint collection, medical history and examination by a neurologist is not enough. First of all, you need to visit an optometrist. The doctor examines the fundus. Thanks to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, you can analyze the bone structure of the skull and evaluate its condition. Based on the diagnostic results obtained, it is possible to identify the cause of the increase in pressure inside the skull.
Using spinal puncture and a special device, pressure was measured several years ago. Nowadays, doctors do not use this diagnostic method, because they consider it inappropriate.
When the doctor diagnoses the patient, treatment can begin. Based on the results of the study, taking into account the individual and physiological characteristics of the patient’s body, the doctor prescribes a drug that will help normalize the pressure inside the skull. In frequent cases, intracranial hypertension is not an independent disease. This pathological condition develops due to another neglected disease. First of all, the therapy of the main disease should be started. If the doctor has detected a tumor in the brain or intracranial hematoma in the patient, it is important to carry out surgical treatment.
Due to the removal of tumors or excess fluid, the patient's general well-being improves and intracranial pressure normalizes. Under such conditions, you can do without any related activities.
If intracranial pressure has increased due to the development of encephalitis and meningitis, then antibiotics should be taken. With mechanical extraction of the cerebrospinal substance, intracranial pressure decreases.
With the help of drugs that reduce intracranial pressure, you can improve the overall well-being of the patient. It is with this group of drugs that the therapy of benign intracranial hypertension begins.
Essence of treatment
In neurology, a symptom of intracranial hypertension occurs in both children and adults. With this diagnosis, it is not recommended to take Furosemide for a long time, since such a drug affects the functioning of other internal organs and can provoke the development of side effects. In the process of treatment with Furosemide, it is necessary to take an additional potassium preparation. The doctor prescribes the medicine "Diacarb" in various regimens. As medical practice shows, experts recommend taking Diacarb in 5-day courses, followed by a 3-day break. Thanks to this medicine, it is possible to remove excess fluid from the skull and reduce the production of cerebrospinal substance, thereby lowering intracranial pressure.
In addition to the drug therapy method, the doctor prescribes a special drinking regimen (no more than 1.3 liters per day), which allows to reduce the amount of liquid substance entering the brain. With the help of acupuncture, manual therapy and physical therapy, you can improve the overall health of the patient and speed up the healing process. In some cases, resort to an operational method of treatment. The type of surgical operation the specialist determines depending on the specific clinical picture of the patient.
Only a doctor should prescribe treatment for intracranial hypertension in adults. Symptoms of pathology at an early stage of development may be absent, so it is advisable to regularly undergo a checkup with a doctor. Most often, with this diagnosis, shunting is performed.
In the event that the disease is too neglected and the pressure inside the skull increases rapidly, there is a threat to the patient's life. Under such conditions, it is important to provide emergency care. It is necessary to administer a hyperosmolar solution intravenously. Urgent intubation and artificial respiration are carried out. The patient is injected into a medical coma. Thanks to ventriculopuncture, an excess of cerebrospinal fluid is excreted. In rare cases, decompressive craniotomy is performed. In the process of carrying out such manipulation, a skull defect is created on one side so that the brain does not "rest" on the bones of the skull.
The prognosis of such treatment depends on the severity of the disease, the general health of the patient and the experience of the doctor, so it is important not to go to questionable clinics in order to carry out therapy. Such a disease is very dangerous, because it can progress and go into severe forms, which often leads to death.
Disease in children
There are several symptoms of intracranial hypertension in a child. These include:
- The sucking activity is reduced.
- Significantly increases the circumference of the head.
- The fontanel is tense and bulges.
- The vein in the head area is too dilated.
- An increased muscle tone is observed.
- Grefe syndrome appeared.
- Convulsive manifestation is observed.
- Cranial sutures diverge.
- The baby cries loudly - a common symptom of intracranial hypertension in infants.
- There is a gag reflex.
There is no need to panic if the child has sprinkled abundantly. In frequent cases, this symptom does not indicate that an ailment is developing. If the baby is overfed, then this phenomenon may occur. With a systematic manifestation of symptoms, a thorough examination by a pediatrician should be done. If one of the symptoms of intracranial hypertension appears in a child, it is important to urgently call an ambulance or go to the hospital, because the children are too vulnerable to any diseases. Under such conditions, self-medication is strictly prohibited.
What are the causes of intracranial hypertension in babies?
There are several reasons why a disease occurs in children. These include:
- active secretion of the cerebrospinal substance;
- poorly absorbed cerebrospinal fluid;
- disturbed circulation in the cerebrospinal fluid.
There are several factors that can cause symptoms of intracranial hypertension in infants:
- head injury;
- meningitis and encephalitis;
- drug poisoning;
- an abnormality in the process of brain development;
- cerebral hemorrhage;
- swelling and so on.
The baby’s intracranial pressure rises for several reasons, namely:
- development of complications during the period of bearing the baby;
- prematurity;
- development of intrauterine infection and neuroinfection;
- congenital malformations of the brain.
Symptoms and treatment of intracranial hypertension in children is a topic that should be discussed with a pediatrician. If one of the signs of the disease appears, it is important to perform an ultrasound scan, echoencephalography, computed tomography. Based on the results of the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe therapy that will help cure the ailment. The choice of treatment depends on the specific clinical picture.
Treatment of ailment in a child
Depending on the severity of the disease, the doctor prescribes a specific method of therapy. In frequent cases, treatment is carried out with the medication method, and physiotherapy and massage can not be dispensed with. Procedures will improve the well-being of the child. Symptoms and treatment of intracranial hypertension in children is something that worries many parents.
If necessary, surgeons perform a surgical operation during which a shunt is installed. Excess fluid is removed through such a device. The shunt can be installed both for life and for the duration of surgery. If the therapy is timely implemented, then after the operation the child’s health is restored.
Often there is a symptom of mental disorder with intracranial hypertension due to a deterioration in the general well-being of the patient. Under such conditions, a consultation of several specialists is needed.