Intracranial hypertension

Introduction

Intracranial hypertension (IH) is the medical name for a build-up of pressure around the brain. It can come onsuddenly for example, as the result of a Head injury, severe , stroke or brain abscess . This is known as acute IH. It can also be a persistent, long-lasting problem known as chronic IH. This is rare and sometimes it's not clear why it happens. This page focuses on chronic IH. It covers: Symptoms Causes Tests and diagnosis Treatments Outlook

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Articles for intracranial hypertension

Introduction

Find out what intracranial hypertension (IH) is, what the symptoms are, why it happens, and how it's treated.

Symptoms ofchronic IH

Symptoms of chronic IH can include: a constantthrobbing headache this may beworsein the morning, or when coughing or straining; it mayimprove when standing up blurredor double vision temporary

Causes of chronic IH

Possible causes of chronic IH include: a blood clot on the surface of the brain known as a chronic subdural haematoma a brain tumour a brain infectionsuch as meningitis or encephalitis hydro

Tests forchronic IH

IH may be suspected if you have symptoms of increased pressure on your brain, such as vision problems and headaches. Several tests may be carried out to diagnose it, such as: an examination to chec

Treatments forchronic IH

Treatment for IH depends on the underlying cause, if this is known. The main treatments for idiopathic IH are: losing weight if you're overweight this can often help reduce symptoms andmay sometim

Outlook forchronic IH

Chronic IH can be life threatening if it remains undiagnosed and the underlying causes are not treated. You should be referred to a specialist as soon as possible if your doctor suspects it. Idiopath

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