This problem has become common not only among the elderly and newborns, but also among young people, teenagers. Increase intracranial pressure( ICP) in an adult is capable of excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid. Hypertension with its ignoring leads to disruption of the central nervous system, a decrease in mental abilities. Prolonged compression of some brain tissue leads to death.
What is intracranial pressure
From mechanical damage to the brain and overload protects the cerebrospinal fluid - the cerebrospinal fluid. Cranial box - a solid bone of round shape, the volume of which is constant. If the pressure in the head changes, then there is a brain tumor, problems with blood vessels( poor permeability), or absorption of liquor .Increased or decreased pressure in the head arises because of its overabundance or lack, in the case of disturbance of circulation.
Symptoms in adults
Elevated ICP is also called hypertension. It can lead to death. It is important to learn to distinguish between the characteristic symptoms of benign intracranial hypertension in order to take timely measures and contact a specialist for examination. If signs of intracranial pressure in adults are revealed, it is worthwhile to do the following:
- not to worry, in order not to aggravate the problem;
- make an appointment with a neurologist, undergo a brain examination;
- to follow a diet, take prescribed medications, follow all the recommendations of specialists.
Increased intracranial pressure
This pathology can be observed in persons of different ages. The clinical picture of hypertension of adults and children is different. The problem of determining the increased pressure on the brain is that its signs also indicate other serious diseases. First there is a constant headache, mainly in the morning. It creates a feeling of squeezing or buckling, especially in the temples. Increased intracranial pressure is accompanied by signs:
- drowsiness, vomiting, nausea;
- feeling broken in the morning,
- dizziness, unconsciousness;
- violation of thinking processes, memory loss, distracted attention;
- blood pressure jumps during the day;
- sweating, bradycardia( rare pulse);
- problems with eyesight, noises in the ears.
Reduced
Hypotension, hypotension is observed when the pressure inside the skull falls below 10 mmHg. There is a strong headache, sharp, compressive. With low head pressure, flashes before the eyes, a feeling of discomfort in the abdomen, tingling in the heart can occur. Symptoms of lowering ICP are: vomiting, motion sickness, lethargy, irritability, weakness and loss of strength. The headache weakens if you lean down.
Symptoms in children
Newborns experience intracranial hypertension in the first hours after birth. This may indicate a tremor of the chin, a divergence of the bones of the head, an increase in fontanelles, their pulsation, convulsions. Symptoms of increased pressure inside the skull in children are regurgitation, repeated vomiting, strabismus, severe visual impairment, and restriction of eyeballs. An obvious sign is an increase in the ventricles of the brain. In school children and children a little younger, high ICP is manifested by irritability, fatigue.
How the head of
hurts At high pressure, whiskey pulsates. There is a migraine in the morning after awakening. Headache has a pressing character, there is a feeling of constriction of the skull or its extension. It can be strengthened by tilting, sneezing, coughing, taking a horizontal position, straining. After taking anesthetic medications, the pain does not go away.
Causes of
In children, hydrocephalus is the main factor that causes increased ICP, an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the skull. This pathology occurs with tumors of the head vessels, brain inflammation, obstructions to the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid( formation, thrombus).Low blood pressure appears when the skull and its patient box are damaged as a result of surgery or injury. In adults, the following causes of high blood pressure are identified:
- edema, inflammation of the brain;
- presence of foreign body, tumor, hematoma, intracranial hemorrhage;
- increased blood flow in the enlarged cerebral vessels due to intoxication of the body;
- congenital hydrocephalus, which leads to an increase in cerebrospinal fluid.
Than intracranial pressure is dangerous
If ICP rises gradually, the brain has time to adapt, but from time to time it gives distress signals. Its compression affects the overall health. Constant fatigue, headaches lead to poor sleep. The brain does not rest fully. For a child, this is dangerous, because mental and physical development slows down. The adult patient experiences a feeling of apathy, meteopathy( dependence on atmospheric pressure, weather changes).When the cerebral hemispheres are infringed, the heart and respiration centers suffer, which leads to death.
How to determine intracranial pressure
The normal ICP reading is 10-17 mmHg or 100-151 mmH2O. Cranial cerebral pressure indicates the extent of cerebrospinal fluid exposure to the brain. Critical is the level of 25-35 mm Hg: this leads to a lethal outcome. Methods of measuring the magnitude of intracranial compression in the head are:
- ultrasound of the brain( neurosonography) through the fontanelle - is used for infants up to 12 months old;
- computed tomography or MRI of the cranial cavity - common with severe circulatory disturbance;
- echoencephaloscopy - often given to infants;
- check the fundus is important to find out whether there is puffiness of the optic nerve;
- to measure the intracranial level using a pressure gauge: a lumen is inserted into the lumen of the spinal canal or into the ventricles of the brain, to which the device connecting as a mercury thermometer joins.
Treatment
Effective is the grinding of the collar zone, the head. A course of 15-20 massages helps to improve the outflow of venous blood. It is advisable to continue treatment yourself. Twice a day for 15 minutes, massage the neck from top to bottom, the points of the base of the skull with circular motions, to hold the palms from the neck to the clavicles. Assign procedures - electrophoresis or place the magnet on the collar zone. It removes puffiness, allows you to increase blood circulation. Acupuncture acupuncture affects the reflex zones, which remove spasms of venous vessels.
Physiotherapy involves moderate stress on the cervicothorax. To reduce intracranial it is possible if to be engaged in a plow, sports walking, to play badminton, table tennis. At home, exercise such a charge, doing the exercises slowly:
- pulling the head forward and down to the chest;
- turns head alternately to the right and left until it stops;
- the slopes of the head, touching the right ear of the shoulder, then likewise the other side;
- on the inhalation of the chin rises and holds the breath for 5 seconds, on exhalation it drops.
What to drink
When the volume of CSF increases in the cranial cavity, diuretics are used - Furosemide, Diacarb, Acetazolamide. This normalization and treatment of intracranial pressure in adults removes excess fluid. Increase the blood circulation of the brain helps nootropic drugs. These are stimulants that improve mental processes, soothing - Pantogam, Pyracetam, Encephabol. It is recommended to monitor the drinking regime.
When edema is prescribed corticosteroids - Dexamethasone, Asparcum and other drugs containing potassium. Circulation normalizes Sermion, Cavinton, Cinnarizin. Of homeopathic remedies for the reduction of pressure inside the skull, Neurochel, Notta are effective. If the problem is caused by a neuroinfection, a course of antibiotic therapy is prescribed.
Surgical treatment
Surgery is necessary in the presence of a tumor, foreign body, aneurysm. If hydrocephalus is the cause of the increased pressure in the head, the superfluous spinal fluid is removed surgically. Indications for surgical treatment: trauma to the skull, blockage of the outflow pathway of the cerebrospinal fluid, cysts. Operations are of two types: shunting with the transfer of excess into the abdominal cavity or into the right atrium. The method of spinal puncture of the ventricles is applied.
Treatment with folk remedies
If you do not know what to do with intracranial pressure, there are no tablets, you can refer to proven methods. What kind of home remedies are used in this case:
- compress of alcohol and camphor oil will help to remove spasm of cerebral vessels: the ingredients are mixed by 50 ml each, rubbed into the scalp, a rubber cap is put on and the top turns into a scarf;
- alcohol plant tincture fights hypertension: in equal amounts, the infusions of valerian, motherwort, mint, eucalyptus, hawthorn are combined to produce 500 ml of the drug. Store the mixture in a warm place for 14 days, add 1 tsp to the water. This remedy is not suitable for babies, pregnant women;
- for normalization of intracranial changes to squeeze out 2 tbsp.l.lemon juice, add half a cup of water, drink for an hour. An important condition is to take before going to bed for 20 days with a break after 1.5 weeks.
Consequences of
If a person does not struggle with the level of intracranial changes( ICD), a person may faint. Do not recognize and ignore hypertension. With it, cerebral vascular diseases develop, become chronic, the work of the central nervous system is disrupted. The most dangerous consequence is a stroke. Among the complications of cerebral compression are:
- decrease in vision until its complete loss;
- is a disorder of consciousness, mental disorders;
- epileptic syndrome - permanent seizures;
- violation of breathing, weakness in the legs and hands.
Prevention
The main methods of preventing the squeezing of the brain is a full sleep, regular physical exertion of moderate strength, normalization of the drinking balance. Alternate mental activities with sports. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol to avoid vasospasms. To improve venous outflow, increase the part of the bed on which you lay your head, at 30 degrees.