Hydrocephalus

What is HYDROCEPHALUS?

A blockage or disturbance in the production, flow or absorption of the cerebrospinal fluid causes Hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus leads to a major problem of an increase in the central nervous system’s fluid volume, which causes the brain to swell. Normally, this fluid shields your brain, but when a patient has an excess of the fluid, it embeds harmful pressure on the brain.

Symptoms of HYDROCEPHALUS include:

• Headache
• Nausea And Vomiting
• Balance Disorders
• Dementia
• Loss Of Concentration
• Blurred Vision
• Urinary Incontinence

What are the underlying Causes of HYDROCEPHALUS?

Hydrocephalus has no age specification. The excess accumulation of the cerebrospinal fluid mainly causes this condition. The amount of CSF in the brain usually increases because of a blockage or the loss of functionality of the blood vessels to absorb the fluid. However, the primary underlying causes may include:

• Head Injuries
• Bleeding in the Brain
• Encephalitis
• Brain Tumors and Strokes

Classification by Occurrence of HYDROCEPHALUS

Doctors categorize Hydrocephalus in two types, the congenital Hydrocephalus or the acquired Hydrocephalus on the basis of occurrence.

• Congenital Hydrocephalus develops by birth because of any genetic abnormality.
• Acquired Hydrocephalus develops after birth occurs because of any brain injury or disease.

Diagnostic Procedures of HYDROCEPHALUS

Your doctor may use an ultrasound to get a more imminent look at the brain. Secondly, Magnetic resonance imaging scans or Computerized tomography scans also look for signs of excess CSF fluid in the brain. These scans require high-frequency sound waves to generate images of the brain. Ultrasound for Hydrocephalus concerns the children who have an open fontanel. An MRI utilizes a magnetic field and several radio waves to generate a cross-sectional image of the brain, but the CT scans use different X-rays and show enlarged brain vessels because of the excess amount of CSF fluid.

Treatment Options for HYDROCEPHALUS

Hydrocephalus completely damages the brain in severe cases and causes permanent physical and cognitive development problems. You must recognize the symptoms of this condition and seek medical care. Your doctor may consider one of the subsequent surgical treatments:

• Shunt insertion
• Ventriculostomy

The treatment approach commonly includes surgery of inserting a shunt, a flexible but firm plastic tube. The shunt transports the fluid to some other area of the body where it can get easily absorbed. Treatment may not recover the brain damage previously occurred to the brain but can prevent further brain damage. It includes the reviving of the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid. HYDROCEPHALUS can be fatal if left untreated. Medicine and therapy can also help in improving brain condition.