How to determine if there is intracranial pressure. Symptoms of intracranial pressure. Methods for determining ICP and indicators

Raised intracranial pressure is a popular diagnosis. This dangerous disease occurs in both a child and an adult. Various causes of the disease complicate its treatment, but thanks to modern diagnostic methods, it is possible to get rid of elevated ICP forever. Find out how dangerous this disease is, how to reduce intracranial pressure with medicines at home.

What is intracranial pressure

Increased craniocerebral pressure is caused by an increase or decrease in the amount of intracranial fluid - CSF. It protects the brain, its membranes from damage, provides nutrition, respiration of nerve cells. Normally, about 1 liter of CSF is produced per day. Thanks to normal microcirculation, the functioning of the brain and nerve cells is maintained. The ICP of a healthy person ranges from 3-15 mHg. Deviations from these indicators is a dangerous condition and requires treatment.

The following studies will help the doctor diagnose increased intracranial pressure: CT, MRI, puncture of cerebrospinal fluid, ultrasound of the head, examination of the fundus. CSF outflow disturbances are often caused by craniocerebral trauma, inflammatory diseases, sudden growth spurts in adolescents, nervous strain, tumors, alcohol and vitamin A poisoning, and pregnancy. The list of symptoms is very diverse, the main thing is to notice them in time and competently examine them. The main signs of increased ICP are:

a sharp decrease in peripheral vision, and later central;
frequent headaches;
a disproportionately large head in a child;
swelling of the face (eyelids, cheekbones,) and neck;
persistent nausea and vomiting;
frequent fatigue, emotional lability or irritability;
sharp headache when coughing, sneezing, bending over;
frequent regurgitation (in infants).

How to lower intracranial pressure

When this disease is detected, an experienced doctor will tell you what to do with intracranial pressure in order to prevent health-threatening consequences. Helping a child or an adult is an integrated approach. Proper and effective treatment is aimed at identifying and eliminating the causes of the disease. An integrated approach includes physiological procedures, special exercises, drug therapy, folk remedies, diet. All this helps to bring down high blood pressure, return the patient to normal life.

If the initial cause was a brain tumor, then surgery will be required. Depending on the severity of the disease, the doctor chooses the tactics of treatment, methods of therapy. This can happen in an outpatient clinic or at home. The main thing is not to self-medicate, but carefully follow the recommendations of the attending physician.

Drugs that reduce intracranial pressure

In drug therapy, more than one drug is used that reduces intracranial pressure. Each drug has a leaflet that you can read online or in a pharmacy. The following groups of medicines are used:

beta-blockers (, Propranolol);
alpha-one-blockers (Losartan, Irbesartan, Doxazosin, Nicergoline);
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (Captopril, Kapoten);
Ca-channel antagonists (, Amlodipine);
plasma substitutes (Albumin);
diuretics (hypothiazid, spironolactone, furosemide, torasemide, glycerol);
sedatives (, Nott, motherwort herb);
vasodilators;
hormonal drugs (Dexamethasone).

Folk remedies for intracranial pressure in adults

It is possible to treat intracranial pressure in adults with folk remedies. You can find out how to quickly reduce intracranial pressure from a doctor or chiropractor. Alternative methods can be treated when the disease has become chronic. Apply a massage of the neck and head to relieve vascular tone: pressure will not rise from it for a long time. It is recommended to take soothing herbs - motherwort, valerian, hops. Many folk remedies include the use of honey and bee products. Here are some recipes:

Mix dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins) and nuts (walnuts or almonds) in the same amount. Pour the mixture with linden honey, consume on an empty stomach for 30 g.
Take 150 g of lemon juice, 350 g of liquid honey, 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Mix the containers and insist in a dark, cold place for 10 days. Drink in the morning, in the evening after eating a teaspoon.
Rub hands and feet with propolis and mint tincture, in a ratio of 10:1. This medicine is applied every 2 days.

How to treat intracranial pressure

The correct treatment for intracranial pressure depends on its cause. If it is a congenital ailment, massage is used, diuretics are used. The best remedy for adults is rest and limitation of nervous stress. Drugs in tablets for hypertension have shown themselves to be effective: they reduce the well-high vascular tone. The use of plasma substitutes equalizes the pressure between brain tissue and plasma. It is possible to cure ICP if you consult a doctor earlier and follow his instructions. Properly selected medicine can normalize the condition for a long time.

Vasodilators for the brain

Vasodilator drugs with pressure help fight vasospasm and lower intracranial pressure. They remove the blockage of the outflow of CSF into the venous network. In the treatment of this disease, they effectively showed themselves:

No-shpa;
papaverine hydrochloride;
preparations of nicotinic acid;
antihypertensive drugs.

Antispasmodics

Many antispasmodic drugs are widely used to treat raised intracranial pressure. They are good at relieving pain and spasm. These are Tempalgin, Spazmalgon, No-shpalgin. In its composition, each tablet contains a vasodilating component, an anesthetic. Read the instructions carefully before taking the medication, stick to the dosage prescribed by the doctor.

Diuretics for intracranial pressure

Diuretics with intracranial pressure help to remove excess cerebrospinal fluid from the cranium. They are good at removing swelling from the face and limbs. There are diuretics for emergency therapy, when excess fluid needs to be quickly removed from the body (Furosemide, Lasix) and for complex therapy (Veroshpiron, Diakarb). During treatment, it is necessary to replenish the lost potassium and magnesium ions. They are very important for the functioning of the heart muscle, the brain. Together with diuretics, you need to drink such tablets: Asparkam, Panangin. Lowering ICP with diuretics is used for all causes of the disease.

Intracranial pressure- naturally conditioned pressure force of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the cranium: the ventricles of the brain, venous sinuses, the space between the dura mater and the bones of the cerebral part of the head, the subarachnoid zone.

The normative figures for intracranial pressure are rather arbitrary, they give different options for values, depending on the personal characteristics of human physiology. These indicators can be different for the same subject under different external conditions and with a different internal state. In some scientific sources, the normal values of intracranial pressure are its values \u200b\u200bin the range from 3 to 15 mm Hg. Art. However, leading neurologists are of the opinion that the norm for a person is from 10 to 15 mm Hg, which corresponds to the limits from 100 to 150 ml of water column.

Intracranial pressure is directly dependent on the volume of each individual component located in the cranial cavity. The reasons for a significant increase in intracranial pressure may be natural processes in the human body, for example: sneezing, crying. Also, the rise in indicators is considered normal if it is directly related to intense physical activity, for example: vigorous bending.

To date, the only reliable way to measure intracranial pressure is a measurement made in the spinal subarachnoid cavity in the lumbar region. This manipulation is carried out by performing a lumbar puncture (puncture). Other methods of examination of patients can provide only indirect evidence of changes in the values of intracranial pressure. That is why many people, especially infants, are misdiagnosed with intracranial hypertension.

Two separate conditions associated with changes in intracranial pressure have been studied and described. Its increase is called intracranial hypertension (ICH). The decrease in pressure values is called, respectively, intracranial hypotension. However, the prevailing position among the anomalies of this kind is occupied by increased intracranial pressure.

Causes of increased intracranial pressure

The rise in intracranial pressure is due to various factors, among which the leading cause is an increase in the volume of the contents of the cranial cavity. Such a pathology is cerebral edema - an excess of the volume of tissue fluid above the norm.

The cause of intracranial hypertension is an increase in volume and excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cranial cavity. Hydrocephalus in infants, commonly referred to as dropsy of the brain, is often the result of a head injury during the mother's labor activity. Also, an excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the segments of the brain in an infant can be initiated by an infectious disease that his mother suffered during pregnancy. In the vast majority of cases, hydrocephalus in infants and an increase in pressure occur due to the presence of an untreated cytomegalovirus infection in his mother.
Another reason for this anomaly is venous stasis, which has arisen due to spasms of blood vessels - narrowing of the lumen between their walls. Often, vasospasm is a direct consequence of a person's incorrect organization of the work and rest regimen. Regular lack of sleep, lack of proper physical activity, mental stress, smoking, excessive drinking cause this anomaly. Very often, the cause of an increase in intracranial pressure in adults and in infants is hypoxia - a reduced oxygen content in the body as a whole or in the structural sections of the brain.
Neurologists consider the most common cause of increased intracranial pressure to be the presence of a volumetric formation in the cranial cavity - benign neoplasms or malignant tumors. The presence of cysts and accumulations of pus inside the cranial cavity - an abscess - also initiates an increase in intracranial pressure.
An infectious lesion of the central nervous system is also capable of causing pressure surges in the cranium in children and adults. At risk are people who have had meningitis, an inflammation of the soft membranes of the brain caused by bacteria and viruses. High pressure values in the skull are often an indicator of encephalitis - a disease of viral and microbial etiology, characterized by the appearance of foci of inflammation in the structures of the brain.
Another culprit of increased intracranial pressure is a syphilitic lesion of the nervous system called neurosyphilis. This ailment is typical for adults who have not undergone complex treatment of syphilis or have not applied to a medical institution at all.
Excessive production of cerebrospinal fluid is a process activated in the body by the action of infectious agents. A common cause of activation of the secretion of cerebrospinal fluid is bronchitis and otitis media in adults and infants.
Intracranial hypertension is often seen in obese people. Thyroid dysfunction, namely hypothyroidism - a lack of hormones of this organ initiates an increase in intracranial pressure. The cause of pressure drops in the structures of the cranium is hypoparathyroidism, which develops due to a decrease in the production of hormones by the parathyroid glands.
Elevated blood pressure is often associated with intoxication of the body with vitamin A. Chronic overdose of retinol (daily intake of a dose of 4000 IU / kg for more than six months) causes intracranial hypertension.

Often, an anomaly occurs in adults during treatment with certain medications that cause cerebral edema. Among them are:

corticosteroids;
tetracycline antibiotics;
representatives of the group of antimicrobial agents - nitrofurans;
drugs of the quinolone group - nalidixic acid;
synthetic androgen danazol;
oral contraceptives.

Often the cause of the rise in intracranial pressure is iron deficiency anemia caused by impaired hemoglobin synthesis. In the first place among the causes of this disease are uterine bleeding. This phenomenon also often occurs in pregnant women. Iron deficiency can be caused by abnormal menstruation. Common sources of iron deficiency anemia in adults include iron deficiency caused by chronic malnutrition and starvation, eating a monotonous diet high in fat and sugar. The cause of anemia in infants is premature birth, multiple pregnancy of the mother, premature ligation of the umbilical cord.

Edema of the brain structures and the hypertension caused by such processes are often observed after open and closed contact injuries of the soft tissues of the head and skull bones.

In adults, increased intracranial pressure is often the result of a stroke - an acute violation of cerebral circulation. These dangerous conditions include:

cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke);
bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke);
subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding into the space between the arachnoid and pia mater).

Clinic: symptoms of intracranial pressure

The formation of clinical symptoms, the nature and severity of their manifestations directly depend on the focus of the localization of the pathological process and the rate of its development.

The first main symptom, indicating a rise in intracranial pressure, is a headache: both of moderate severity and increased intensity. In this case, the pain syndrome does not have a clear localization. Very often, cephalgia is aggravated closer to the dawn hours. A person feels heaviness in the head and a feeling of weakness. In some people, pain is represented by a feeling of pressure from within, bursting the head. Pain is aggravated by turning and sharp nodding of the head, strong sneezing, paroxysmal coughing, forward bending of the torso.
Another sign of increased intracranial pressure accompanying cephalgia is irresistible painful sensations in the epigastric region and vomiting. These phenomena usually occur in the morning hours. Nausea and eruption of the contents of the stomach at the same time have nothing to do with the quality of human nutrition. As a rule, after an attack of vomiting, the headache weakens or subsides completely. However, for some people vomiting does not bring relief.
A characteristic objective symptom of intracranial hypertension is papilledema. In rare cases, infants and adults may experience paralysis of the abducens nerve. Many patients experience progressive or sudden vision loss. A frequent symptom of a rise in intracranial pressure is a violation of the reaction of the eyes.
A dangerous sign of increased intracranial pressure is drowsiness. The person becomes distracted and inattentive. A sharp depression of mental activity is a symptom of pyramidal insufficiency. The patient feels nervous and irritable. He quickly gets tired and is not capable of prolonged vigorous activity. As a result of compression of the hypothalamus, which is responsible for the regulation of the emotional state, a person's mood worsens and depression develops.
Vegetative symptoms of intracranial hypertension are increased sweating. Often a person feels chills. Hyperesthesia may occur - an increase in the sensitivity of the skin, manifested in the sensation of "crawling" on the skin.
With a significant rise in pressure inside the cranial cavity, pronounced disorders of consciousness are possible. A symptom of a serious condition of the patient is convulsive seizures. In some cases, bradycardia develops and respiratory function is disturbed.
A sharp deterioration in the patient's condition is evidenced by neurological signs: retinal vein dilatation, mushroom-shaped protrusion of the optic disc with an indistinct silhouette of its boundaries, the appearance of hemorrhages along the vessels, outwardly resembling flames. The result of this pathological condition is the occurrence of secondary atrophy of the optic nerves with irreversible loss of vision.
Another neurological symptom of increased intracranial pressure in adults is diplopia. This vision disorder is characterized by a bifurcation of visible objects.
The main symptom indicating an increase in intracranial pressure in infants is tension and a visually noticeable bulging of the fontanelles (non-ossified areas of the cranial vault in newborns).

Treatment of intracranial hypertension

An increase in intracranial pressure, both once occurring and regular, is a real threat to the health of people of all ages. That is why, at the first signs of intracranial hypertension, and especially with an unreasonable headache accompanied by nausea, it is necessary to visit a neurologist for a large-scale examination.

Treatment of increased intracranial pressure involves taking measures to eliminate the factors that caused the abnormal state of the body. In mild cases, it is sufficient to eliminate the pathology of the thyroid gland, eliminate iron deficiency anemia, and conduct a program to reduce the patient's body weight.

How to lower intracranial pressure? Eliminate cerebral edema capable of modern diuretics - diuretics. Their use allows to reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid by inhibiting the function of carbanhydrase, an enzyme responsible for the transport of chloride ions.

If the pathology arose as a result of traumatic brain injury or was the result of a stroke, it is advisable to treat with drugs containing potassium. They contribute to the improvement of tissue metabolism, normalize the balance of electrolytes, thereby providing sufficient nutrition to the structural units of the brain.

In difficult situations, when there is a real threat of loss of vision due to cerebral edema, corticosteroids are added to the treatment program. These funds are especially in demand in the treatment of intracranial hypertension caused by the action of intoxicants.

If drug treatment does not show the desired results, proceed to neurosurgical manipulations. Among these types of treatment for hydrocephalus, bypass surgery is the most effective. If the cause of the rise in intracranial pressure is a volumetric formation in the cranial cavity, then surgical treatment is performed to remove it.

In the event of respiratory disorders or when the patient is in a coma, immediately start artificial ventilation of the lungs.

Often, homeopathic remedies are included in the treatment program for intracranial hypertension. However, such drugs do not show any therapeutic response to increased intracranial pressure in adults and infants, so their use is inappropriate. At the same time, in mild situations, when the anomaly is provoked by the chronic action of stressors or excessive nervous tension of a person, it is quite appropriate to treat with traditional medicine. To eliminate a headache, you should take daily complex pharmacy products, which include folic acid, vitamin C, tocopherol, manganese, zinc.

As a preventive measure, doctors recommend organizing your day in such a way that there is a sufficient time interval for a good rest. To avoid increased intracranial pressure, adults should stop smoking and not abuse alcohol. Compliance with the drinking regimen, healthy and fresh products on the menu will help get rid of extra pounds. Regular physical activity, exposure to fresh air, water procedures improve blood circulation and stimulate metabolism.

What is intracranial pressure?

The pressure inside the skull is due, first of all, to the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contained in some structures of the brain, partly to the pressure of the blood in the vessels, and in some cases to the tissue fluid.

Why is it dangerous to increase it? The fact is that the brain is located in the cranium, that is, it is rigidly limited by bone structures. An increase in pressure in such a closed space leads to squeezing of brain structures, which causes neurological disorders, primarily headache. Long-term intracranial hypertension can cause severe complications.

A prolonged increase in pressure inside the skull, as a rule, is a clinical sign of a disease, and is not an independent pathology.

Pressure inside the skull, unlike arterial pressure, cannot be done at home on its own; special instrumental methods are used for this. How to understand that a person has high cranial pressure? Usually, its presence is indicated by a characteristic triad of signs:

Headache.
Vomit.
Congestive fundus (determined by an ophthalmologist).

What causes increased intracranial pressure

Usually, intracranial hypertension occurs with an increase in the volume of cerebrospinal fluid, tissue fluid (cerebral edema), blood (venous stasis), as well as the formation of neoplasms in the brain (cyst, tumor,).

A short-term increase in cranial pressure occurs in healthy people when coughing, sneezing, bending over, stressful situations, excessive physical exertion, etc. However, in such cases it quickly returns to normal.

A prolonged increase in pressure inside the skull, as a rule, is a clinical sign of a particular disease, and is not an independent pathology, that is, it is of a secondary nature. The cause of a persistent increase in intracranial pressure is craniocerebral trauma, inflammation of the brain and its membranes (meningitis, encephalitis), neoplasms in the head, stroke, hydrocephalus. Less often - intoxication with salts of heavy metals, poisonous gases, methyl or ethyl alcohol.

Long-term intracranial hypertension can cause severe complications.

Diagnostics

To make a diagnosis, data obtained from the collection of complaints and anamnesis, examination of the patient, in particular, ophthalmological, are used. Examination of the fundus makes it possible to detect characteristic small hemorrhages on the retina, an increase in the blood vessels of the eyeball, swelling of the optic nerve head. The detection of such signs in the presence of a characteristic clinical picture makes it possible to establish increased cranial pressure.

To detect a primary disease, an examination is carried out, including laboratory and instrumental methods (computed or magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, etc.).

The choice of one or another method of measuring pressure inside the skull depends on the age of the patient and the characteristics of the course of the disease. In children of the first year of life, neurosonography and echoencephalography are usually used. You may need a puncture of the ventricles of the brain (or lumbar spine) with pressure measurement. Puncture performs another role - it allows laboratory diagnosis of cerebrospinal fluid in case of suspicion of an infectious or tumor nature of the pathology. When measuring, cyclical changes in the indicator should also be taken into account, which allows you to get more information than when determining a separate average value.

During the diagnosis, edema, an increase or decrease in the volume of the ventricles of the brain, hemorrhages, neoplasms, an increase in the space between the meninges, divergence of the sutures of the skull, displacement of brain structures and other changes in the structure of the brain and surrounding tissues can be detected.

Vomiting in this case is not associated with food intake. It also often appears in the morning, can be multiple. After it, the intensity of the headache decreases.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with epilepsy, migraine, metabolic diseases, psychosomatic disorders (psychosomatics in medicine is the development of somatic, i.e. bodily diseases under the influence of psychological factors).

How to treat intracranial hypertension

What to do with increased cranial pressure? How to get rid of it? Treatment goes in two main directions:

in order to eliminate compression of the brain structures and painful symptoms of pathology.
Elimination of the cause of intracranial hypertension, i.e. treatment of the underlying disease.

Depending on the results of the examination, both conservative and surgical methods can be used.

The primary goal of conservative, and in complex cases, surgical treatment is to reduce the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid.

Examination of the fundus makes it possible to detect characteristic small hemorrhages on the retina, an increase in the blood vessels of the eyeball, swelling of the optic nerve head.

Surgical treatment is resorted to with the ineffectiveness of drug therapy or for health reasons. It consists in shunting, creating an artificial way for the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid. Excess cerebrospinal fluid will be pumped out of the ventricles of the brain into the abdominal cavity or into the space between the meninges at the base of the brain through a special inserted tube. If a shunt is being placed on a child, it may need to be lengthened several times as the child grows.

In addition, surgical treatment is carried out in the treatment of certain neoplasms - aneurysms, hematomas, cysts, tumors.

Video

We offer you to watch a video on the topic of the article.

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is a disease that cannot be ignored. It may seem to a person that slight dizziness and headaches that bother in the morning are nonsense. However, such symptoms may indicate serious structural damage to the brain tissue, and the causes of increased ICP lie in dangerous pathologies (, hemorrhage or).

Especially dangerous is increased intracranial pressure in a newborn baby. Untreated hydrocephalus becomes a catalyst for serious illnesses. Having found signs of the disease, the first thing to do is to be examined by a neurologist. Patients are prescribed appropriate drugs and massage. But sometimes it can not do without surgical intervention.

Increased intracranial pressure occurs due to edema or an increase in the content of cerebrospinal fluid. The causes of excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid can be in serious pathologies:

inflammation in the membranes or the brain itself (meningitis, ventriculitis, encephalitis);
traumatic brain injury;
intoxication of the body with ethyl alcohol, poisons, or after a person uncontrollably took potent pills and drugs.

In addition, the reasons may be the following:

tumor, hematoma,;
ischemic stroke, in which vasospasm interferes with normal blood circulation, and also affects the balance of cerebrospinal fluid;
congenital pathologies of the brain.

In adults, a change in intracranial pressure can occur due to chronic diseases and an unhealthy lifestyle:

high blood cholesterol;
diabetes;
dysfunction of the thyroid gland;
excess body weight;
abuse of nicotine and alcohol;
oxygen starvation (constant stay in a stuffy, unventilated room);
passion for self-medication, in which there are signs of an overdose of medications and even vitamin complexes.

As for children, the causes of increased intracranial pressure in infants in ninety cases out of a hundred are caused by hydrocephalus, which occurs due to birth injuries or pathologies during the mother's pregnancy:

detachment of the placenta;
protracted childbirth;
premature discharge of amniotic fluid;
oxygen starvation of the fetus;
clamping the umbilical neck of the embryo;
infectious diseases of a pregnant woman;
maternal alcohol and drug use.

There are frequent cases of hydrocephalus due to too rapid healing of the fontanel in a newborn, which causes an increase in intracranial pressure. Sometimes pathologically high intracranial pressure occurs due to a violation of the process of fusion of the bones of the skull.

External manifestations of ICP

Increased intracranial pressure manifests itself through certain symptoms. Usually they are accompanied by a general decrease in the quality of life and a deterioration in the patient's condition:

The signs inherent in vegetative dystonia are pre-fainting, dizziness, excessive sweating, darkening of the eyes during the morning rise from bed.
Often there are symptoms of a gastrointestinal disorder, expressed in constant nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting reactions to certain types of foods that have always been on the usual menu and did not cause nausea before.
Adolescents and adults have signs of circulatory disorders and the work of the heart muscle: temporary tachycardia (rapid heartbeat with minor physical exertion), bradycardia (rare poorly palpable pulse), blood pressure jumps, shortness of breath.
A characteristic feature is frequent headaches, which intensify in the evening and during a sharp change in weather. Pain syndrome is sometimes not relieved even by painkillers or head massage.

Indirect symptoms of increased intracranial pressure in adults may indicate an unstable mental and emotional state of a person:

increased nervousness and irritability;
decreased performance and fatigue;
depressed mood;
bouts of unreasonable fear or anxiety;
decreased sexual activity;
isolation and unwillingness to make contact.

Outwardly, the person looks emaciated, has an unhealthy cyanotic complexion and dark circles under the eyes.

Manifestations of hypertension in newborns

In infants, changes in the color of the skin are also noticeable: usually in children with increased intracranial pressure, they appear pale, and during bouts of crying - bluish-burgundy.

The strong one keeps them awake at night. If you do a light massage of the back of the head, they can calm down for a while, but in the morning they cry again for no reason. Parents should be concerned about the behavior of the baby if they observe symptoms of hypertension:

an increase in the fontanel (large and small);
pulsation visible to the eye in the fontanel area;
an increase in the size of the sutures between the bones of the skull;
bright venous mesh at the temples;
strong tilting of the head back during sleep;
slight tremor of the chin at rest;
frequent "fountain" vomiting after eating;
"strangeness" in the child's vision, for example, staring at one point or lack of focus;
lethargy of the limbs, "hanging" of the hands and feet.

Observing a similar clinical picture in a child, you should immediately report suspicions to the pediatrician and undergo an examination by a neurologist.

Methods for diagnosing ICP

In some cases, it is possible to determine increased intracranial pressure by preliminary diagnosis, that is, by the method of external examination by a neuropathologist and an ophthalmologist. Symptoms in newborns are noted when measuring the circumference of the child's head and the ratio of indicators with body height. Pathological progression of head enlargement indicates impaired brain development and the presence of increased intracranial pressure.

The doctor also pays attention to the proportionality of the forehead and superciliary arches, to too sparse hairline, the degree of protrusion of the eyeball, and the color of the skin. The neuropathologist analyzes the general psychomotor development of the child, observes whether there is a tremor of the chin or frequent twitching of the head.

An ophthalmologist can confirm the diagnosis on the basis of an analysis of the fundus: he determines whether there is swelling in the optic disc, whether contour blurring is present, whether myopia is progressing. These symptoms, observed together, indicate pathological intracranial pressure.

Among the modern methods of examination, the following methods are used:

neurosonography (ultrasound examination of the brain);
methods of computer diagnostics.

To clarify the diagnosis, intracranial pressure is measured using a special manometer, which is attached to a crater inserted into the spinal canal. However, this procedure is quite complicated and is possible only in the intensive care unit or in the neurosurgery clinic. To measure pressure in newborns and children under 1 year old, echoncephaloscopy or neurosonography is preferred.

Echoencephalography is an absolutely painless procedure and less dangerous than inserting a crater into the spinal canal. As a rule, the method is used during the child's sleep. The head is lubricated with a special gel, then a special helmet is put on, which has slots for sensors. Ultrasound signals are recorded for 5 to 10 minutes, after which the indicators are analyzed using computer testing.

The treatment strategy is indicated only on the basis of a complete comprehensive examination.

Surgical intervention

In some cases, you can not do without surgery. Hypertension in children can be a catalyst for serious irreversible pathologies. Therefore, if traditional therapy, where drugs and general strengthening massage are used, does not help, surgical intervention should not be postponed.

Before the operation, the patient must go through a preparatory stage, during which he takes drugs prescribed by the doctor to stabilize pressure and prevent increased blood clotting.

The operation itself consists in the introduction of a shunt (outlet tube), through which excess cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) that has accumulated in the ventricles of the brain is removed.

If the cause of high intracranial pressure is a tumor, a craniotomy is performed with the removal of a dangerous formation.

In the future, the patient is again prescribed pills to restore pressure, as well as strengthening therapy, including massage and gymnastics.

Medical treatment

If a person has, it seems to him that it is easier to take painkillers than to seek advice in a timely manner. However, drugs for the treatment of increased intracranial pressure and relief of the condition are prescribed only by doctors, after examination and diagnosis:

Inflammatory edema is removed with analgesics (ibuprofen, indomethacin, paracetamol).
Meningococcal infection is treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Intracranial pressure is reduced by diuretics (lasix, veroshpiron, diacarb).

Preparations for relieving pain are selected taking into account age and individual sensitivity. It can be aspirin, ibuprofen and other drugs that have an additional anti-inflammatory effect.

In parallel with the drug method, massage and other restorative procedures are prescribed.

Firming procedures

Contrary to popular belief about the omnipotence of folk methods, increased intracranial pressure is not treated with home remedies. Healing herbs, diets and massage can only reduce symptoms or strengthen the body for its successful recovery.

Only a specialist can determine the severity of the situation and prescribe adequate treatment. It is better to entrust even such a procedure as a head massage to a chiropractor or learn from him for two or three sessions how to do it correctly.

The occipital part is usually warmed up (when there are symptoms of a headache in the temples, they are also massaged). If a person is doing a head massage on their own, it is most convenient to put your palms on the top of your head and drive your thumbs from the back of the head to the base of the neck. Massage can be done every day. In addition to relieving headaches, the procedure stimulates the normal circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.

During recovery, it is important to follow a diet. The menu should not contain spicy and fatty foods. Nursing mothers should pay special attention to their diet. Black coffee and tea can be easily replaced with infusions of chicory root or fireweed angustifolia (Ivan tea). And before going to bed it is good to drink sedative infusions with mint or motherwort.

If the child sleeps restlessly, baths with a decoction of chamomile and a general relaxing massage help. Both adults and children are advised to sleep only in a well-ventilated room and walk outdoors as often as possible.

Cranial pressure is a signal of failure, any malfunction in the work of the whole organism. Many confuse it with arterial, but these are two different things. Excessive accumulation of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leads to an additional load on the brain, i.e., hypertension or increased cranial pressure occurs. In children, it increases during crying (in infants, the fontanel bulges), screaming, physical exertion, etc. Its norm is 10 mm Hg. Art. Fluctuation during the day from 5 to 10 mm Hg. Art. - an absolutely normal phenomenon inherent in all people that does not require treatment.

What is the danger?

If hypertension is observed constantly, even at rest, it can disrupt the normal functioning of the brain. In this case, the official diagnosis is hypertension. For children, it is dangerous because it affects their development: such a child begins to crawl, sit, hold his head much later than his peers.

Cranial pressure in children as a diagnosis

Signs:

A large head with a convex forehead, its circumference is growing rapidly;

The fontanel constantly bulges noticeably;

A strip of sclera (the protein membrane of the eye) is visible at the top of the eyelid, while the child's eyes are directed downward - Graefe's symptom;

A thin venous network clearly emerges under the scalp;

Increased irritability;

Frequent monotonous crying;

Constant drowsiness, lethargy;

Lack of body weight;

Frequent regurgitation after eating;

Vomiting - requires emergency treatment, can cause serious complications, even death.

The reasons:

Head injury;

Hydrocephalus;

Encephalitis;

Meningitis.

Cranial pressure in adults

Symptoms:

Headache - constant, throbbing, greatly aggravated at night and in the morning, throbbing behind the orbits;

Bright flashes of light, dots, double vision;

Lethargy, fatigue, nervousness;

Nausea, vomiting that does not bring relief;

Drowsiness;

hallucinations;

uncoordinated movements;

Heat;

Feeling of fullness in the head;

Vegetative-vascular dystonia - sweating, frequent fainting, jumps in blood pressure, tachycardia, darkening in the eyes.

The reasons:

genetic abnormalities;

Concussions, injuries;

poisoning;

Circulatory disorders;

hypoxia;

Cancer of any organs in the skull;

Meningitis.

How to measure cranial pressure?

To establish such a diagnosis as hypertension, one examination by a neurologist is not enough. A comprehensive examination is required. A puncture is used to determine cranial pressure. The method is the most effective, but complicated and dangerous, since the measuring needle is inserted into the ventricles of the brain or the spinal canal. The procedure is carried out according to strict indications, if other methods have been ineffective. Indirect methods for determining the presence of hypertension - examination of the fundus, ultrasound of the brain, MRI, CT, electroencephalography.

How to downgrade

1. Traditional medicine:

A decoction of oak wood ash;

A decoction of lavender;

Garlic, garlic-lemon tincture;

A decoction of parsley in milk.

2. Official medicine:

Diuretic drugs;

Nootropics - improve brain nutrition;

sedative;

Vitamins of group "B";

Therapeutic procedures: acupuncture, swimming, head massage, special gymnastics;

Diet, drinking regimen;

Surgical intervention: shunting - is performed in severe cases that cannot be corrected.