Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is considered a dangerous condition for human he alth. A very large number of people face this phenomenon. Neither adults nor children are immune from it. In women, this pathology occurs much more often than in men. However, quite often, the symptoms that appear with an increase in ICP are not paid attention to, which can lead to serious consequences in the future. To avoid this, you should have a good understanding of what are the signs of intracranial pressure, as well as ways and methods of dealing with it.
Description of pathology
There are a number of factors that can cause increased pressure inside the skull. However, most often this phenomenon is due to a failure in the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid from the intracranial space.
Signs of increased intracranial pressure in humans are quite common.
Let's figure out what is such a phenomenon as cranial pressure. In the craniuma person, in addition to a large number of nerve cells, a significant part of the brain is also occupied by cerebrospinal fluid or cerebrospinal fluid. The bulk of the fluid is located in the region of the ventricles, in the center of the skull. Part of the cerebrospinal fluid passes between the arachnoid and pia mater. Some amount of CSF can also be found in the spinal canal.
Liquor performs various functions. It protects the brain tissue from impacts on the cranium, removes toxins and other harmful substances from the brain, and also provides water and electrolyte balance. The level of pressure inside the skull also depends on the amount of cerebrospinal fluid. Most of the CSF is produced directly by the ventricles, and some is produced from the blood that circulates in the brain area. A complete renewal of the liquor occurs in seven days.
Signs of intracranial pressure will be discussed below.
Norma
The pressure inside the skull is measured in millimeters of mercury or water column. The norm for an adult is in the range from 3 to 15 mm. In childhood, slightly reduced blood pressure is considered normal. An increase in CSF volume leads to intracranial pressure. An increase of more than 30 mm can lead to severe damage to brain tissue and even death.
The pressure inside the skull cannot be measured at home, it requires the use of special instruments.
Signs of intracranial pressure
Increased pressure inside the cranium manifests itselfcertain characteristic symptoms:
1. Visual impairment.
2. Headaches.
3. Dizziness.
4. Memory loss.
5. Absentmindedness.
6. Drowsiness.
7. Jumps in blood pressure.
8. Nausea and vomiting.
9. Lethargy and high fatigue.
10. Sweating.
11. Chills.
12. Depression and irritability.
13. Mood swings.
14. Pain in the spine.
15. Increased skin sensitivity.
16. Respiratory failure, shortness of breath.
17. Reduced muscle tone.
These signs of intracranial pressure can be observed all together and separately, all individually.
The presence of one or more of the symptoms listed above does not always mean high blood pressure. This may indicate the presence of a pathology with similar symptoms.
The most common sign indicating an increase in cranial pressure is a headache. The main difference from migraine is the nature of the pain, which is not localized in a specific place, but spreads throughout the cranium. The typical time for a headache is morning or night. There is also an increase in pain when coughing, turning the head, etc. Painkillers do not help.
What other signs of intracranial pressure are there in adults?
Impaired visual perception
Another characteristica sign of increased ICP may be a violation of visual perception. This can be manifested by bifurcation, fuzziness of objects, passing bouts of complete loss of vision, fog before the eyes, and a decrease in light perception. These symptoms indicate compression of the optic nerves as a result of increased ICP.
With increased ICP, the shape of the eyeball can change, up to such a strong protrusion that it becomes impossible to close the eyelids. This causes dark circles under the eyes due to congested veins.
Nausea and vomiting also often accompany elevated ICP. At the same time, vomiting does not alleviate the patient's condition. Intracranial pressure may increase with some common events, such as bending over, sneezing, and stress. However, such an increase is short-term and quickly passes by itself, without causing discomfort. If the pressure does not decrease, then we should talk about the chronic form of increased ICP.
Signs of intracranial pressure in a child
Usually, these signs in children are closely related to the manifestations of hydrocephalus - the presence of a large amount of fluid in the ventricles of the brain. There is a visual increase in the size of the head, and the pathology is also characterized by other symptoms:
- excessive pronounced protrusion of the fontanel;
- a strong lag in overall development compared to peers;
- excessive anxiety;
- frequent regurgitation and poor weight gain;
- lethargy and drowsiness;
- symptom of Graefe,when the baby's eyes look down.
Diagnosis
In order to directly measure ICP, complex instrumental techniques are used that require a high level of physician qualification, the use of high-precision equipment, and are often unsafe for the patient. The study is carried out by puncture of the ventricles and further introduction of the catheter into the places of circulation of the CSF.
Sometimes a CSF puncture is performed in the lumbar spine. This procedure not only makes it possible to check the pressure, but also to analyze the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid. Thus, differential diagnosis of infectious diseases is made.
Other diagnostic methods are listed below.
There are safer methods for diagnosing elevated ICP:
- Sound examination.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
- Computed tomography.
These studies make it possible to detect changes in the structure of the brain and tissues surrounding it, which can lead to an increase in pressure inside the skull, namely:
- Reduction or increase in the size of the cerebral ventricles.
- Expanding the space between the meninges.
- Puffiness.
- Hemorrhage or malignancy.
- Shifting brain structures.
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The appearance of the distance between the cranial sutures.
signs of increased intracranial pressurein adults
Encephalography is also an important diagnostic method. It makes it possible to identify disruptions in the activity of those areas of the brain that are responsible for intracranial pressure. Doppler ultrasound of blood vessels will reveal disturbances in the blood flow of the cerebral veins and arteries, as well as the presence of blood clots and congestion.
Signs of intracranial pressure in an infant should be recognized by parents.
Reasons for increased ICP
It should be taken into account that increased ICP is a symptom and not a disease in itself. There are several factors that can lead to an increase in ICP, among them:
1. Traumatic brain injury.
2. Inflammatory processes in the meninges such as meningitis and encephalitis.
3. Hypertension.
4. Overweight.
5. Hyperthyroidism.
6. Encephalopathies due to liver pathologies.
7. Adrenal failure.
8. Osteochondrosis, localized in the cervical spine.
9. Neoplasms in the head area.
10. Cysts.
11. Parasitic invasion.
12. Abscess.
13. Stroke.
In addition, the following diseases of infectious origin can provoke an increase in ICP:
- Bronchitis.
- Tit.
- Malaria.
- Mastoiditis.
As a result of which there are signs of intracranial pressure. Treatment should be aimed at eliminating the causes.
Medication and its effectdescribed below.
Also, drug therapy can lead to increased ICP. In particular, the following drugs can provoke this situation:
- Corticosteroids.
- Antibiotics.
- Oral contraceptives.
All of these factors can affect CSF in different ways. Sometimes they cause increased fluid synthesis, sometimes they disrupt its normal circulation, and in some cases prevent its absorption. There are also situations when all three methods of influencing the cerebrospinal fluid appear simultaneously.
Genetic predisposition also plays an important role in the issue of increased ICP. If we talk about children, then injuries during childbirth, prematurity, fetal hypoxia and severe toxicosis in a woman during pregnancy can lead to an increase in ICP.
Complications
Increased ICP in a chronic form tends to increase over time, therefore, it requires correct and timely therapy. In the absence of such, the disease can lead to such serious complications as:
- Paralysis
- Speech impairment.
- Stroke.
- Deviations in the psyche.
- Epilepsy.
- Blindness.
- Violation of motor function, namely coordination.
In women who are overweight at a young age, increased ICP can go away on its own without specific therapy. However, you should not hope for this and it is better to consult a doctor forthe necessary examination and correct diagnosis, as well as the exclusion of more serious diseases.
Treatment
Therapy of pathology in adults depends on the causes and age. It involves the appointment of diuretics, sedatives and vascular drugs. In addition, they are prescribed: manual and diet therapy, as well as special gymnastics.
The diet is built taking into account the consumption of he althy foods, with a minimum of s alt and liquid.
We looked at the signs of increased intracranial pressure in adults.
