Conditions of the brain can result from various reasons like injury, accidents, or congenital disabilities. These conditions are usually severe as the brain is the organ that controls body functions. Therefore, serious caution and attention to detail are required when dealing with these conditions. Flowood Hydrocephalus is an example of a typical brain condition. More about this disease and its effects are discussed below.
What is Hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus is a condition that is characterized by the increase of fluid in the ventricle cavities inside the brain. This excess fluid largens the size of the ventricles while adding pressure on the brain.
Cerebrospinal fluid is found within the ventricles washing the brain and spinal column. Too much cerebrospinal fluid causes too much pressure, thus destroying brain tissues and resulting in various brain function issues.
Hydrocephalus is prominent among young infants and people over the age of sixty. Various surgical treatments can restore and maintain cerebrospinal fluid levels in the brain. Problems or symptoms associated with hydrocephalus can be managed through different therapies.
Signs and Symptoms
These vary with the age of getting the condition.
For infants:
- Fast increase in head size
- Sluggishness or sleepiness
- Vomiting and nausea
- Poor eating
- Irritability
- Eyes fixed downward
- Seizures
- Issues with muscle strength and tone
For toddlers and older children:
- Blurred or double vision
- Headache
- Abnormal eye movements
- Sleepiness
- Abnormal enlargement of the head
- Unstable balance
- Vomiting or nausea
- Poor appetite
- Poor coordination
- Frequent urination or loss of bladder control
- Change in personality
- Irritability
- A decline in school performance
For young and middle-aged adults:
- Sluggishness
- Headache
- Frequent urination
- Loss of balance or coordination
- A decline in concentration, memory, and other job performing skills
- Vision problems
For adults above sixty years:
- Memory loss
- Loss of bladder control
- Progressive loss of reasoning skills and thinking
- Poor balance or coordination
- Trouble walking like the feeling of your feet being stuck
Causes
Hydrocephalus results from the disproportion between the measure of cerebrospinal fluid produced and how much your bloodstream absorbs. Too much cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles results from the following:
- Poor absorption of the cerebrospinal fluid due to the swelling of brain tissues from disease
- Partial blockage of cerebrospinal fluid flow from ventricles within the brain
- Rare occasions of cerebrospinal fluid overproduction
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis involves:
- A physical exam
- A neurological exam
- Brain-imaging tests like MRI, ultrasound, and CT scans
Treatment can be done through one of two surgical methods:
- Insertion of a shunt drainage system that keeps the fluid flowing in the correct direction and rate
- Endoscopic third ventriculostomy uses a small camera to make holes and drain the fluid from your brain
Many brain conditions require in-depth discussions with your physician to determine the best course of treatment due to the delicate nature of your brain. For any hydrocephalus inquiries, check our website out, or call our Flowood, MS offices.
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