It's All In Your Head

Foreword: This blog will be for a senior level Bachelor's of Nursing course. It is intended to offer a look at a disease in a way that will be able to be understood by most, while still offering depth into the medical complications of such an issue. All information will be gleaned from textbook, lecture, and research sources. This is a medical blog, images presented may not be suitable for all audiences but it will be kept clean and show images from an objectively medical, educational, and professional standpoint. Any questions may be directed at the author and attempts will be made to answer them. 

HYDROCEPHALUS

Hydrocephalus, the literal translation is Hydro-"Water" in the Cephalus-"Head". It is a condition that occurs when too much Cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the ventricles in the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid, commonly called CSF, is the "brain juice" that flows around and inside your brain as well as down your spinal cord. It consists mostly of water and sugar along with other brain and nerve-essential nutrients. The issue of hydrocephalus arises when either too much fluid is being created or the fluid cannot be disposed of as quickly as it is being made.

RCHSD-Uploads-Kids-Health [1]

Hydrocephalus is not normally a standalone defect, it is usually accompanied by other complications such as nervous system defects such as spina bifida or neural tube defects, or with malformation of the brain. This can also be caused by external complications such as intrauterine infections during pregnancy and birth.

Hydrocephalus is most often seen in newborns or infants (but it can be seen in older children) because the sutures of the skull are not fully sealed and still possess some pliability. This allows the cranial cavity to expand and accommodate the increase in fluids.

Sutures in the Infant Skull

Healthwise Media Medical [2]

Hydrocephalus is damaging to the brain due to the increased Intracranial Pressure (ICP), but it can be corrected. There is no true "cure" but shunts can be put in place to relieve the excess fluid and lower the ICP. This will be discussed in further detail in future posts, but it can be done to allow a normal life to be lived for those affected by Hydrocephalus.

That's all for this weeks blog. Check back next week as we dive in to tides teeming with knowledge.

Wallpaperez-movie-megamind [3]

Sources: Google Image search results:

1 http://www.rchsd.org/wp-content/uploads/kidshealth/images/image/ial/images/3252/3252_image.png

2 https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/_layouts/15/healthwise/media/medical/hw/h9991915_001.jpg

3 http://www.wallpaperez.org/wallpaper/movie/Megamind-2079.jpg

Ricci, S. (08/2012). Essentials of Maternity, Newborn, and Women's Health Nursing, 3rd Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://coursepoint.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781469884370/