Hydrocephalus
...d his age. He was very blessed and lucky to have a doctor who caught it quick so there was no damage to his brain. Even though before the surgery we were told that he may not walk like other kids or talk like other kids, he doesn’t show any signs of brain damage and is doing very well. Symptoms of hydrocephalus are different depending upon the age of the person. In an infant it is rapid head circumference growth, like what was found in my little brother. In older children and adults, there are a lot more symptoms to notice, such as head aches followed by vomiting, nausea, downward deviation of the eyes, which is called “sun setting”, poor coordination and memory loss. Another noticeable symptom is severe drowsiness. A lot of times these symptoms can easily be mistaken for the common flu. There are several different causes to hydrocephalus. These causes include bleeding, infection, trauma, vascular problems and structural problems. It is sometimes present at birth, caused by trauma or the environment, or genetically carried. Even though these causes are listed, there are some cases where there are no clear cause at all. For my little brother there was no clear cause other than the fact that the drain at the back of head where the cerebrospinal fluid should drain out was closed off and not draining the fluid properly causing fluid buildup and pressure on his brain. All of these different causes end up with the same result, which is a buildup of spinal fluid inside the brain. The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is to surgically place a shunt into the head. A shunt is a plastic tube no more than an eighth of an inch thick which diverts the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid from the central nervous system into another part of the body. Then the fluid can be absorbed as part of the circulatory system. This procedure is done by surgically creating a small hole in the skull and placing the shunt system through the hole and into the ventricle inside the brain. The tube connected to the shunt system is then directed down to a cavity in the abdomen for the fluid to drain and be absorbed. It is an ongoing concern though, even after a shunt is in place, to watch and make sure it is functioning correctly. It is very common for a shunt to shut down at some point and need to be replaced. In my little brother when he was almost three years old his shunt had to be replaced. We always have to watch him for any flu like symptoms. If he shows any headaches, vomiting or extreme tiredness then we have to take him right down to Primary Childrens Hospital. When his shunt shut down he just showed signs of wanting to sleep a lot, he really didn’t show any other signs. When the neurosurgeon checked him he scheduled him ...