Intracranial pressure (high brain pressure)

Head | Emergency Medicine | Intracranial pressure (high brain pressure) (Disease)


Description

Increased intracranial pressure refers to a serious condition in which there is an increase in pressure inside the skull. However, feeling like you have head pressure or a headache does not necessarily mean that you have increased intracranial pressure. Most headaches are not caused by increased intracranial pressure, although a severe headache is one of the symptoms of the condition.

Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure may include lethargy, vomiting, seizures, vision changes, and behavior changes. The headache that may occur with increased intracranial pressure is often described as the “worst headache of my life. ”

Causes and Risk factors

Causes of increased intracranial pressure include serious diseases and conditions, such as hydrocephalus, which is an increase in the volume of cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Increased intracranial pressure can also be due to diseases or conditions that create abnormally high pressure within the skill, such as a brain tumor or swelling of brain tissue due to encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain often caused by a viral infection. Increased intracranial pressure can also be caused by bleeding into or on the brain due to such conditions as a serious head injury or hemorrhagic stroke.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Increased intracranial pressure and its underlying cause are diagnosed by performing a complete neurological assessment and certain testing procedures, such as a spinal tap, CAT scan (also known as a CT scan or CT), or MRI. ...