Dorothy FarrarCerebral edema
A cerebral edema is an accumulation of fluid in the brain that can arise for very different reasons. This disease is an acute danger to life and can lead to severe permanent damage.
What is cerebral edema?
In principle, the term cerebral edema refers to any type of pathological, i.e. pathological accumulation of fluid in the brain. Most of the time, however, it is fluid in the space within the brain cells, so that the whole brain swells. Because the brain fits very tightly into the skull, the swelling builds up high pressure, which destroys brain cells.
This can lead to brain death. The blood supply to the brain is also interrupted by cerebral edema, depending on its location, and thus further brain cells die from lack of oxygen. Nerve cells are no longer newly formed in adults, so permanent damage or impairment is to be expected with any cerebral edema.
Causes
A cerebral edema can have various causes, but usually the reason is a severe head injury. Due to a strong impact, for example in a traumatic brain injury, the injury of small vessels that normally supply the brain with blood causes disturbances in the fluid balance of the brain.
However, other causes of this can also be serious illnesses, such as tumors or poisoning, for example with flue gas. In general, all serious diseases of the central nervous system can also lead to cerebral edema as a complication. A special form of cerebral edema is possible when mountaineering at extreme altitudes, where a combination of low air pressure and too little oxygen in the inhaled air can form a high-altitude cerebral edema.
Symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of cerebral edema:
The symptoms of cerebral edema can be very diverse, depending on the affected region in the brain. The disease is usually accompanied by severe, worsening headaches. It can lead to clouding of consciousness or the loss of single or multiple sensory perceptions, such as seeing or hearing. A change in the psyche, such as sudden aggression, is also conceivable.
In addition, speech problems or motor insecurities often occur. The first symptoms often appear within minutes of an accident and become more pronounced when the pressure in the brain increases. In the course of more and more severe symptoms are to be expected, whereby seizures are also possible. However, cerebral edema can also develop gradually within a few days.
There is a risk that the symptoms will be misinterpreted. Ultimately, it can even lead to circulatory and respiratory disorders if the cerebral edema presses on the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of cerebral edema is made by imaging techniques if there is a suspicion due to the symptoms or the course of the accident. In most cases, a CT scan is performed immediately. The cerebral edema appears darker on CT images than the normal brain mass. Under certain circumstances, the midline between the brain hemispheres is also shifted by the pressure of the fluid.
Important in diagnostics is on the one hand a quick procedure, but on the other hand also the exclusion of other possible causes, for example a stroke or a cerebral hemorrhage. In the case of a slow course without an obvious traumatic cause, a tumor or other disease of the central nervous system must also be excluded.
Complications
In most cases, the symptoms of cerebral edema occur relatively suddenly and can significantly reduce the quality of life of the person affected. As a rule, those affected suffer primarily from severe headaches and also from vomiting and nausea. There are also disturbances of consciousness and dizziness, so that in the worst case it can also lead to a loss of consciousness. The pulse of the affected person slows down and high blood pressure occurs.
Furthermore, cerebral edema can also lead to paralysis of the eye muscles and thus to considerable visual problems. Speaking and thinking can also be difficult for the person concerned and it is not uncommon for irregularities in breathing or inner restlessness to occur.
Complications usually only occur if the cerebral edema is not treated early. This can also lead to irreversible consequential damage, which in the worst case can lead to the death of the person concerned. Surgical interventions are also necessary in many cases to treat cerebral edema.
treatment and therapy
Rapid action is crucial in the treatment of cerebral edema. Several options are often combined in order to achieve the best possible result. It is important to keep the swelling and thus the pressure in the brain as low as possible so that no further brain cells die or further brain areas are damaged. On the one hand, the patients, usually in an intensive care unit with permanent circulatory monitoring, receive a draining drug to draw excess fluid out of the brain.
In addition, they receive high doses of oxygen for inhalation, so that the remaining brain cells are sufficiently supplied. In addition, glycerine is administered by infusion, which draws fluid from the cells. On the other hand, there is the possibility of a partial surgical removal of the skull bone so that the brain can expand without being damaged. After the swelling has subsided, usually after several days, the skull is surgically closed again.
In addition, in the case of cerebral edema that is not due to an injury, the underlying disease must be treated so that fluid accumulation in the brain cannot occur again immediately after the end of treatment. The treatment of cerebral edema is usually lengthy and involves a hospital stay of several weeks. After discharge, a rehabilitation phase lasting months is often necessary in order to relearn speech, sensory perception or certain Motor Skills , depending on the affected area in the brain . Due to the long stay in the hospital bed, muscles often have to be rebuilt.
Prevention
Relatively little can be done to prevent cerebral edema. In the case of certain underlying diseases that can entail cerebral edema as a complication, there is the possibility of preventive therapy with diuretic drugs.
In addition, a CT should be performed after every head injury. When staying at high altitudes, you should be sufficiently trained and follow an acclimatization phase so that the body can adapt to the new conditions and no high-altitude cerebral edema can develop.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.