Nature has placed our brain in a protective liquid medium, which is called the cerebrospinal fluid or cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid is located in the cavity of the skull under a certain pressure, and it is the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid on the brain that is called intracranial pressure.
Increased intracranial pressure is a symptom of many serious diseases and requires treatment.
Causes of increased intracranial pressure
High intracranial pressure in a person can be caused by a number of reasons:
- Hydrocephalus is a phenomenon when the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid is disturbed, and therefore it presses on the brain. Most often occurs in infants in the deformation and swelling of the fetal zones. At the older age, when these zones are already overgrown, hydrocephalus manifests itself in the form of increased intracranial pressure.
- The second most frequent cause of abnormal intracranial pressure can be craniocerebral injuries, bruises and concussions.
- Tumors of the brain.
- Strokes , aneurysm.
- Encephalitis and meningitis.
- Epilepsy.
Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure
Normal intracranial pressure within 10-15 mm of mercury is considered. Its rise to 25-30 mm is already critical and fraught with loss of consciousness. In the intervals between these indicators, the person does not lose consciousness, but there are a number of signs indicative of increased intracranial pressure. These include:
- strong, often wavy headaches, especially intense in the second half of the night and in the morning;
- vomiting;
- bruises under the eyes and pain behind the eye sockets;
- cardiopalmus;
- increased photosensitivity, decreased vision, the appearance of strabismus, double vision;
- increased fatigue, apathy, irritability and nervousness.
Measurement of intracranial pressure
In contrast to arterial pressure, intracranial pressure can not be measured at home.
At the first stage, an increase in intracranial pressure can be determined by eye examination at the ophthalmologist. Electroencephalography, computed tomography and ultrasound of the brain can also be used to determine deformities and pathologies that cause an increase in pressure.
Direct intracranial pressure is most often measured indirectly - by measuring the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid in the spinal cord, in the lumbar region, using spinal puncture. If more precise procedures are needed, the pressure is determined invasively, by inserting special pressure sensors into the ventricles of the brain.
Treatment of increased intracranial pressure
There are drugs that help to solve the problem, but the drug reduction of intracranial pressure is only a temporary measure that helps to avoid serious brain damage. Otherwise, the treatment should be comprehensive, depend on the cause and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure and be conducted under the supervision of a doctor. Practically in all cases, the treatment course includes diuretics that stimulate the removal of excess fluid from the body, vitamin complexes, nootropic drugs to maintain brain activity, and often sedatives. In some cases (hydrocephalus, tumors, aneurysms), surgical intervention is required to solve the problem.
In addition to drug treatment, to reduce intracranial pressure
Treatment with folk remedies
People's remedies are also used in the treatment of intracranial pressure, although it is impossible to do exclusively with them. For example, to relieve headaches associated with pressure, helps decoction of the branches of mulberry.
Another effective means for normalizing intracranial pressure is a mixture of lemons (with skin) and garlic. Three lemons and three large heads of garlic are ground in a blender, poured with a liter of water and put on a day in a dark place. After that, the mixture is filtered, cleaned in a refrigerator and taken over a tablespoon twice a day for three weeks.