General description of the disease
This is a disease, during the course of which there is an excess of the level of cerebrospinal fluid (or cerebrospinal fluid) in the cranial cavity. The popular name is “dropsy of the brain.”
CSF is a fluid specially produced by the brain that acts as a buffer for the brain. It nourishes it and protects it from mechanical influences and damage. The norm of cerebrospinal fluid is 150 milliliters (and all this volume completely changes three times a day).
The causes of hydrocephalus
Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid occurs for 2 main reasons. The first is an imbalance in the occurrence of the absorption of cerebrospinal fluid, the second is a disruption in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.
The reasons for the development of hydrocephalus in children
Before naming the causes of hydrocephalus in children, it is necessary to divide them into three main groups. At different ages, dropsy of the brain is caused by various reasons.
- Hydrocephalus in an Unborn Child determined during ultrasound of the fetus. Basically, dropsy of the brain is caused by defects in the development of the central nervous system of the fetus or due to the presence of intrauterine infections in the mother’s body (herpes, cytomegaly, toxoplasmosis). Therefore, when planning pregnancy, every woman needs to be tested for these infections and, if necessary, cure them. It is extremely rare that hydrocephalus occurs due to genetic failures.
- Hydrocephalus in infants… In 80% of newborns, dropsy occurs due to defects in the development of the brain and spinal cord, which arose against the background of intrauterine infections in the mother. In the remaining 20% of infants, hydrocephalus occurs due to birth trauma. Basically, the risk group includes premature infants who, after a birth injury, have an intracerebral or intraventricular outflow of blood with an associated inflammatory process in the meninges (meningitis). All this leads to impaired absorption of the cerebrospinal fluid. There have been cases of dropsy in infants with tumors or with vascular defects in the development of the brain.
- Hydrocephalus in children from 1 year to older children… The disease can be provoked by infectious diseases, encephalitis, meningitis, abnormalities in the development of the brain, hemorrhages, and head injuries.
Reasons for the development of hydrocephalus in adults
Most people think that only newborns and children suffer from hydrocephalus. But this is actually not true. Dropsy of the brain can develop in adulthood. Basically, this disease develops due to high pressure on certain parts of the brain. Such squeezing can begin due to meningitis, meningoencephalitis, serious poisoning, severe head injuries, stroke, syphilis, due to the development of tumors: ependioma, medulloblastoma, circulatory failure in the brain of a chronic nature, due to ongoing processes of an infectious type in the nervous system.
Forms of hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is divided into groups depending on the origin, etiology, course.
Depending on when the disease occurred, hydrocephalus is divided into congenital and acquired… Congenital dropsy of the brain developed even before the birth of the child, and acquired, of course, after the baby saw the light.
In turn, acquired hydrocephalus is divided into closed, open and hypersecretory hydrocephalus… This classification is based on the origin of the disease.
Closed (occlusive) dropsy of the brain. In this case, the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid is disturbed due to the fact that the passage through which the cerebrospinal fluid flows is closed.
Open (communicating) hydrocephalus. The absorption of the cerebrospinal fluid is impaired due to damage to the structures that take part in the absorption process.
Hypersecretory dropsy of the brain develops against the background of an abnormally high production of cerebrospinal fluid.
Depending on the course, the disease is divided into 3 forms:
- 1 sharp (3 days have passed from the first symptoms to a complete violation of the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid);
- 2 podstruю (after the onset of hydrocephalus, 30 days pass before gross decompensation);
- 3 chronic (the disease develops slowly – from 21 days to six months).
Hydrocephalus symptoms
The manifestations of hydrocephalus also depend on age.
Signs of hydrocephalus in newborns
In most cases, babies are born with a normal head volume or with minor increases in volume. The size of the head begins to increase in the first or second month of the baby’s life. It is during this period that the head is actively growing.
How long the head will increase in size depends on the indicators of intracranial pressure.
During a visual examination, it is necessary to examine the hairline (it will be rare), the cranial sutures (their divergence will be visible), fontanelles (they will be tense and bulging), the forehead (there will be a disproportion: the frontal arches will be very large and the forehead is excessively convex).
Also, you should pay attention to the bones of the skull – they will be thinned.
Signs of hydrocephalus in children
With the further development of the disease, the child’s weight begins to decrease, while the muscle tone of the arms and legs greatly increases.
Also, there is a marbled skin (a venous pattern is clearly visible), nystagmus and strabismus (the child’s eyes are constantly “running”, he cannot focus on one object), the baby very often spits up, his hearing level decreases, he becomes restless, whiny or, conversely, lethargic, drowsy, inhibited.
In addition, there are delays in the development of the child. This applies to the development of speech, motor skills, psyche.
Myths in the diagnosis of increased intracranial pressure in babies
If a child has disturbances in behavior, sleep, excessive activity, inattention, increased tone of the lower extremities, trembling of the chin, walking on tiptoes and even a marbled pattern of the skin, this does not mean at all that the child has increased intracranial pressure. Based on these signs, a diagnosis of hydrocephalus cannot be made. In addition to the above symptoms, the head should be enlarged, the fontanelle should be enlarged, and other symptoms for newborns and children should be present.
To deliver “hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome” or “intracranial hypertension” it is necessary to undergo MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), NSG (neurosonography), CT (computed tomography).
Signs of hydrocephalus in adults: nausea, vomiting, headache (mostly in the morning), dizziness, ophthalmic changes, drowsiness, hearing problems. It is worth noting that after the patient vomits, he becomes much better.
Useful products for hydrocephalus
Patients with this disease are advised to eat simple food for digestion. Most of the diet should be vegetarian food. From the products it is better to use raw pumpkin, cucumbers, lemons, honey, parsley, zucchini, cabbage, celery, black currant, watermelon, grapes, black radish.
Before composing a diet, you need to know exactly the reasons for the formation of hydrocephalus. And based on them, it is already necessary to draw up a menu.
With rapidly progressing swelling of the head, it is better to eat diuretic products.
The patient’s body must receive the required amount of vitamins, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates.
Doctors recommend following a salt-free diet. This is done so that the water-salt balance is not disturbed.
Traditional medicine for hydrocephalus
Unfortunately, traditional medicine is ineffective in the treatment of hydrocephalus. The conservative technique can be used only in the initial stages of the disease.
To improve the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid, you can drink decoctions from the skins of watermelon, black elderberry bark, chicory, buds and leaves of birch, bluehead.
With severe headaches, it is allowed to drink: a decoction of lemon balm leaves, an alcoholic tincture of marsh calamus, cornflower infusion.
To prepare a lemon balm broth, you need to: take a glass of boiling water, pour 15 grams of dry leaves over it, cool, filter. You need to take a tablespoon 3 times a day after meals.
You can also take an alcoholic tincture of lemon balm. To prepare it, you need to pour 15 grams of leaves with 200 milliliters of alcohol. Leave it all for 14 days in a dark place. Take 15 drops 3 times a day after meals.
To prepare an alcoholic tincture from calamus marsh, you need to pour 25 grams of calamus roots with 250 ml of alcohol, leave for 14 days in a cool, dark place. Drink 1 teaspoon before eating. There should be three appointments a day.
To prepare a cornflower infusion, you need to pour a glass of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of dried cornflower flowers, let it brew, cool, filter. The resulting broth must be divided into 3 doses. Drink after meals. This decoction will help reduce swelling and lower intracranial pressure. This effect is achieved thanks to the centaurin and chicorine that this flower contains.
A successful cure for hydrocephalus is possible only with the help of surgical treatment. First, the cause that caused this ailment is eliminated (for example, the neoplasm is removed), then bypass surgery is performed.
Complications of hydrocephalus
If you do not treat this disease or choose the wrong treatment, serious complications can arise, namely: weakening of the muscles of the arms and legs; loss of auditory and visual abilities; problems with the respiratory and cardiovascular system; violations of fat, water, carbohydrate balance; violation of the normal process of regulation of body temperature. In addition, death is possible.
Prevention of hydrocephalus
To warn yourself against this serious disease, it is necessary to prevent overwork, limit stressful situations, avoid hypothermia, prevent the emergence of sexually transmitted diseases and treat diseases of infectious etiology in time. After all, hydrocephalus can develop against the background of syphilis, meningitis, encephalitis.
Dangerous and harmful products for hydrocephalus
- salt and all foods containing salt (especially salted fish);
- fatty, smoked, fried, spicy foods;
- strong coffee, tea, alcoholic drinks, soda (sweet);
- fatty meat and fish;
- fast food and fast food;
- products with synthetic fillers, intensifiers of tastes and odors, with dyes;
- trans fats;
- canned food and semi-finished products, shop sausages, mayonnaises, ketchups, sauces.
The use of these products will negatively affect the patient’s health, and may exacerbate symptoms and provoke complications. Also, you should definitely give up all kinds of bad habits.
Attention!
The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!