- Main signs and symptoms
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- What causes intracranial hypertension
- How the treatment is done
Intracranial hypertension is the medical term that describes the increase in pressure inside the skull and around the spinal cord, which may not have a specific cause, being known as idiopathic, or be caused by trauma or diseases such as brain tumor, intracranial hemorrhage, nervous system infection, stroke or side effect of some drugs.
Normally, the normal pressure inside the skull varies between 5 and 15 mmHg, but in intracranial hypertension it is above this value and, therefore, in the most severe cases it can prevent blood from entering the skull, leaving no adequate oxygenation of the brain.
Since the brain is a very sensitive organ and cannot be deprived of oxygen, hypertension should be treated as soon as possible in the hospital and it is usually necessary to stay in the hospital for a few days.
Main signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension can include:
- Persistent headache; Change in level of consciousness; Vomiting; Changes in vision, such as dilated pupils, dark spots, double or blurred vision; Ringing in the ear; Paralysis of a limb or on one side of the body; Pain in the shoulders or neck.
In some cases there may even be temporary blindness, in which the person is blinded during certain periods of the day. In other people, this blindness can become permanent, depending on how the pressure is affecting the optic nerve.
How to confirm the diagnosis
Intracranial hypertension can be suspected by the doctor only through the symptoms and when there are no other causes that may be resulting in the changes.
However, it is usually necessary to do several tests to confirm the diagnosis and try to find a cause. For this, the most common exams include computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or even a lumbar puncture. When a cause cannot be identified, hypertension is usually defined as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, which means that it has no known cause.
What causes intracranial hypertension
Intracranial hypertension is usually caused by a condition that causes an increase in the size of the brain or the amount of brain fluid. Thus, the most frequent causes are:
- Cranioencephalic Trauma (TBI); Stroke; Brain tumor; Infection in the brain, such as meningitis or encephalitis; Hydrocephalus.
In addition, any changes in the vessels that carry blood to the brain or that allow cerebral fluid to circulate can also cause increased pressure.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for intracranial hypertension is usually carried out at the hospital and depends on its cause. However, it is common for treatment to include the injection of corticosteroids, diuretics or barbiturates into the vein, which decrease the amount of fluid in the skull and reduce pressure.
In addition, it is recommended that the person remains lying on their backs and with their backs tilted at 30ยบ, to facilitate the drainage of brain fluid, as well as avoid moving the head, as this increases the pressure in the veins.
