Table of contents:
- What is intracranial pressure?
- Signs and symptoms of increased pressure in the head cavity
- Causes of increased intracranial pressure
- How to treat high pressure in the cavity of the head
- Prevents pressure on the cavity of the head
When you have a hard impact in the head, you will feel dizzy which is unbearable. Usually you will only rest your body to reduce the headache you feel. However, if the feeling gets worse and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances, you need to be vigilant and go to the doctor immediately. The reason is, it is feared that it will lead to an increase in the pressure in the head cavity, or what is called intracranial pressure.
In fact, without a collision you can also experience this due to other causes. So, what are the other causes of intracrainal pressure? Read on for more information.
What is intracranial pressure?
The intracranial pressure is the value of the pressure in the cavity of the head. This pressure resides in the skull, which includes brain tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, and cerebral blood vessels. At certain stresses, this pressure can increase and should not be underestimated.
This increase in head cavity pressure is usually caused by an increase in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid that protects the brain and spinal cord. In addition, this can also be caused by a tumor, bleeding, or swelling in the brain - either due to injury or epilepsy conditions.
This condition of increased intracranial pressure is classified as very dangerous and needs to be handled as soon as possible. Because, if not treated immediately, this can cause damage to the brain or spinal cord by pressing on the brain structures and restricting blood flow to the brain. At worst, it could even lead to death.
Signs and symptoms of increased pressure in the head cavity
Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure vary depending on age. Not only in adults, this increase in head cavity pressure can also occur in babies. If your baby has fallen out of bed and caused injuries to the head, it's a good idea to immediately check your baby's condition for symptoms of increased head cavity pressure or not.
In addition, increased intracranial pressure can also be a sign of child abuse, known as shaken baby syndrome, namely a condition in which a child is treated harshly to the point of experiencing a brain injury.
In general, children and adults who experience increased intracrainal pressure will experience the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Gag
- Increased blood pressure
- Changes in behavior
- Decreased mental abilities
- Neurological disorders, such as abnormal eye movements, double vision, or the pupil of the eye unable to respond to light
- Breath hunting
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
- Coma
However, in infants under 12 months there are special distinguishing symptoms. Because the bones that make up the baby's skull are still relatively soft, the increased intracranial pressure can cause the baby's fontanel (the soft part or crown of the head) to protrude.
Causes of increased intracranial pressure
Hard impact to the head is the most common cause of increased intracrainal pressure. This is what causes an increase in cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and spinal cord. Not only that, there are also several other causes, including:
- Brain injury
- Brain tumor
- Stroke
- Brain aneurysm
- Hydrocephalus
- Intracranial hypertension, which is high blood pressure that causes bleeding in the brain
How to treat high pressure in the cavity of the head
When you check for symptoms of increased pressure in the head cavity, the doctor will ask a number of things that are suspected to be the cause. Have you recently had a blow to the head or have certain brain tumors.
Next, you will do a blood pressure check and see if your pupils are dilated normally or not. A CT or MRI scan of the brain will also be performed to confirm the diagnosis.
The very first treatment is of course aimed at reducing the pressure in the cavity of your head. This is done by fitting shunt, namely a channel installed to drain excess fluid in the head to reduce pressure. You will also be given sedatives to deal with anxiety, which can raise your blood pressure.
Prevents pressure on the cavity of the head
There are several measures you can take to prevent the intracranial pressure from rising. If you have blood pressure that is so high and at risk of stroke, hypertension medication can help lower your blood pressure as well as lower your intracranial pressure.
You can also prevent the increased intracranial pressure from a head injury. So, make sure to always use a helmet when cycling or playing sports that require physical contact.
In addition, you must use a seat belt when driving and provide a proper distance between the seat and the steering wheel or the dashboard of the car. This is done to anticipate unwanted collisions.
Sometimes falling is inevitable, especially in the elderly. So, you can anticipate this by keeping the floor dry and installing handrails in slippery areas with frequent traffic, if necessary.
