Intracranial pressure in children

Intracranial pressure in children - a phenomenon today is not rare. Most of the popes and mothers in the world now know about him. In the reception room of a neuropathologist, such conversations are conducted quite often. In order to diagnose intracranial pressure in children, it is enough for the doctor to conduct a proper examination. However, what exactly does the expert mean by this term, it is not easy to understand an ordinary person, since there is simply no simple concept of "increased intracranial pressure in children". The reason for this is that the increase in head pressure occurs for a different reason. And this is just a certain consequence or sign of the development of another, serious disease.

Intracranial pressure is a special pressure, which is absolutely every person. Depending on the conditions, it can change like blood pressure. For example, as a result of any psychological and emotional stress or at the time of defecation. In addition, at times when a small child sucks mother's breast, the pressure also rises, as the kid spends a huge amount of effort for this. A short-term increase in pressure certainly does not require special treatment at all. In general, intracranial pressure is the so-called pressure located in the ventricles of the brain and the spinal cord, the fluid. This fluid is often called cerebral or spinal fluid. Its volume directly depends on age, the value of volume varies insignificantly. It is worth noting that fifteen percent of this fluid is updated every hour.

As already mentioned above, if intracranial pressure rises, treatment is often not required, since the causes of this process are natural. As for the pathological increase, it can arise in connection with the defect of parts of the brain, the premature fusion of the fontanel in the child, a tumor or an infectious disease, for example, meningitis. In any case, this is only a symptom, but not an independent disease.

Symptoms of increasing the so-called ICP are rapid growth of the head, rolling out eyeballs and unwillingness to drink, periodic vomiting or strabismus. These signs are more characteristic for nursing infants. For the older generation of children, symptoms are permanent headaches, vomiting, mood swings and fatigue, cramps and mental retardation. There are a lot of such signs. However, even if these signs are observed, this is not enough to determine the increased intracranial pressure. The reasons for it can be revealed only if the brain is completely diagnosed. In infants this is done by ultrasound. It is called neurosonography. As for adult children, it requires a tomography with examination of the fundus. By the way, in children who suffer from ICP, the oculist can see that the optic nerve disc swells. It is for this reason that you can not refuse to be examined by an ophthalmologist. It is the word of this specialist that often becomes decisive. Measuring the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid can only be done by surgical intervention. For this, an intraventricular or lumbar puncture is taken . In addition to this, every parent should know that the ECHO method is currently very popular in Russia - encephalography. It is not reliable when measuring ICP.

Intracranial pressure in children and its increase requires the identification of the causes that led to this process. Most often, specialists carry out treatment, which is associated with improving the nourishment and blood circulation of the child's brain. In addition, effective in this situation are considered massage, swimming and special physical training.