Hydrocephalus

December 23, 2010

What is Water on the Brain?

“Water on the brain,” medically referred to as hydrocephalus, is a condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of a person’s brain. It can cause an increase in intracranial pressure inside a person’s skull and result in a progressive enlargement of their head, as well as causing the person to suffer from convulsions and various mental disabilities, and can be fatal. Related to the condition is normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), which can occur due to a gradual blockage of the CSF drainage pathway in a person’s brain.

The appearance of hydrocephalus is varied and is linked to its severity, and can also be affected by a person’s age, the reason for the blockage, and how much tissue of the brain has been hurt by the swelling. Common symptoms of significant intracranial pressure include nausea, vomiting, excessive sleepiness, papilledema, and headaches. A person can also slip into a coma as a result of the increase in pressure or suffer from life-threatening compression to the brain stem. Other common manifestations of hydrocephalus include urinary incontinence, gait instability, epilepsy, and dementia.

For babies that suffer from water on the brain, their symptoms include seizures, vomiting, irritability, excessive sleepiness, difficulty feeding, uncontrolled eye movements, slow growth, and the manifestation of eyes that seem to be unable to look upwards.

December 14, 2010

The Symptoms of Water on the Brain in Older Adults

Anapol Weiss

“Water on the brain,” which is referred to as hydrocephalus in the medical community, is an irregular buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of a person’s brain. Often, the CSF is under increased pressure, which can compress and damage a person’s brain. It is a condition that is very serious and oftentimes fatal. It can occur before birth or at any time after. It can be caused by a birth defect, brain hemorrhage, infection, tumor, meningitis, or a head injury.

“Hydrocephalus ex-vacuo” is a condition in which there is brain damage caused by injury or a stroke. In these cases there is actual brain substance shrinkage, but the CSF pressure is normal. Another variation of water on the brain is “normal pressure hydrocephalus” (NPH), which occurs because of a gradual blockage of CSF pathways to drainage in a person’s brain. The brain’s ventricles enlarge, but the CSF pressure stays within a normal range. Common symptoms of NPH are difficulty walking, poor bladder control, significant memory loss, and dementia.

Other symptoms of water on the brain in older adults include:

December 3, 2010

Diagnosing Babies with Water on the Brain

Anapol Weiss

Hydrocephalus is a condition that is commonly referred to as “water on the brain.” It occurs when there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of a person’s brain. It is a very serious condition that can cause an increase in intracranial pressure inside a person’s skull as well as a progressive enlargement of a person’s head, causing them to suffer from convulsions and/or mental disabilities. It can also be fatal.

The condition can arise before birth or at any time afterwards, and can be caused by a birth defect, infection, tumor, brain hemorrhage, meningitis, or a head injury. The symptoms of hydrocephalus depend on a person’s age, the reason for the blockage, and how much tissue of the brain is damaged by the swelling. In babies, the most obvious indicator of the condition is an abnormally large head, caused by a buildup of CSF in the central nervous system, which causes the fontanelle to enlarge. This is one of the major reasons a baby’s head should be measured at every visit to a doctor.

Other symptoms of hydrocephalus in babies are: