Symptoms
Symptoms differ for different ages. Infants are able to adapt better because their skulls are not fused. Therefore, there is not as much pressure on their brains, but it is still important to determine and get help immediately, even for infants. The most overt symptoms in infants are an enlarged head circumference. Additional symptoms include vomiting, sleepiness, irritability, seizures, and downward deviation of the eyes. Children and adults tend to exhibit different symptoms because their skulls are fused, and they are unable to withstand pressure on their brains. Symptoms for children or adults include headache, vomiting, nausea, blurred or double vision, eyes gazing downward, lack of balance, lack of coordination, change in memory or personality, and slowing or loss of developmental progress (http://nhfonline.org/hydrocephalus-defined.htm).
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Diagnosis CriteriaHydrocephalus is diagnosed through neurological evaluation and cranial imaging techniques
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TreatmentTo drain the CFS, a shunt needs to be implanted to drain the fluid and release the pressure from the brain. A shunt is surgically implanted in the brain, and a tube running from the shunt drains the CFS into the abdomen.
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Key Characteristics:
Increased intracranial pressure
Dilation of the ventricles
Rapidly increasing head circumference
Full or bulging fontanel (soft spot in infant’s head)
Prominent scalp veins
Severe nausea and vomiting
Excessive tiredness
Difficulty waking up or staying awake
Seizures
Sudden decline in behavior and/or school performance
Visual impairment
Irritability
(http://www.ninds.nih.gov)
Dilation of the ventricles
Rapidly increasing head circumference
Full or bulging fontanel (soft spot in infant’s head)
Prominent scalp veins
Severe nausea and vomiting
Excessive tiredness
Difficulty waking up or staying awake
Seizures
Sudden decline in behavior and/or school performance
Visual impairment
Irritability
(http://www.ninds.nih.gov)