How to lower intracranial pressure: medications, exercises and diet

Averyanova Sveta

Sleep disturbances, moodiness, and anxiety can be a consequence of a diagnosis such as intracranial pressure in a child.

In order to help him cope with this, parents should regularly visit the pediatrician, not keep silent about what is bothering the baby, and follow all the recommendations that follow from the doctor.

After all, the consequences of this change in the body can cause serious problems that can darken the child’s future, and even make him disabled.

Normal indicators

ICP is a quantitative indicator that reflects the force of action of spinal cord fluid on its tissue. The normal intracranial pressure is presented in the table.

Table 1. Normal indicators:

When should you not worry?

Increased blood pressure is often the body's natural response to stress.

High intracranial pressure does not always signal the development of a serious illness.

A short-term increase in indicators is often observed in everyday life, with:

• bowel movements;
• stress;
• cough;
• sneezing;
• laughter;
• sucking the mother's breast.

Treatment is required for frequently increasing ICP.

Why are the numbers increasing?

What causes this condition? The main causes of increased intracranial pressure are presented in the table.

Table 2. Provoking factors:

Note! In children, in 85% of cases, an increase in ICP is caused by intrauterine infection or trauma received during childbirth.

Diagnostics

Intracranial hypertension syndrome must be diagnosed in several ways.

Medical history and medical examination

It is critical that the physician review the patient's complete medical history and perform a thorough physical examination to understand the onset of symptoms and their relationship to any existing or past medical problem, and to determine the presence of any underlying risk factors.

Ophthalmoscopic examination

Then, as a next step, the doctor will examine the child's eyes using an ophthalmoscope to check if there is swelling in the optic disc or if there are any additional blind spots.

Visual methods

This is followed by a detailed neurological examination using various visual diagnostic methods, namely:

• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
• computed tomography (CT) scan to determine the cause and extent of the problem, such as the appearance of a tumor or the presence of blood clots in the vessels.
• The most highly informative research method in children under one year of age (when the fontanelles are still open) is neurosonography. This is an ultrasound of the child's brain.

Lumbar puncture

A lumbar puncture may be needed to check cerebrospinal fluid pressure and evaluate glucose and protein levels.

Features of the clinical picture

One of the signs of serious problems in the body is severe weakness.

How does increased intracranial pressure manifest?

Doctors identify the following symptoms:

• blue circles under the eyes;
• swelling of the nerve of one of the organs of vision;
• fast fatiguability;
• impaired ocular reaction;
• anger;
• decreased peripheral vision;
• frequent presyncope;
• decreased central vision;
• increased sweating;
• decreased blood pressure;
• headache;
• swelling of the eyelids.

Your head may hurt after waking up. This symptom is accompanied by a feeling of “brokenness.”

Signs in children over 3 years old

The main symptoms in children of three years of age are presented in the table.

Table 3. Signs of high intracranial pressure in children over 36 months:

Signs in infants

The main sign of increased ICP in young children is excessive crying. This symptom is combined with anxiety.

Table 4. Symptoms of high cranial pressure in infants:

Prevention

Breastfeeding is a good prevention of such pathology in babies.
High blood pressure in a child is treated and prevented using measures such as:

• regular walks in the air;
• positive atmosphere;
• surrounding the child with love, affection and attention;
• proper nutrition, enriched with vitamins and minerals;
• breast-feeding.

To prevent the occurrence of congenital changes, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination and appropriate treatment during pregnancy planning. You should also protect the expectant mother from stressful situations, take enough vitamins and monitor your health.

Pressure measurement

Intracranial pressure can be measured using a special catheter. It is injected into the lateral ventricle of the brain. This method is considered the most accurate.

Note! Blood pressure should only be measured in exceptional situations.

Diagnosis of intracranial pressure in children begins with examination of the fundus.

Then the specialist directs the patient to undergo:

• Ultrasound of the brain;
• CT;
• echoencephalography;
• MRI.

A spinal puncture is performed to measure average cerebrospinal fluid pressure.

A child has intracranial pressure - what is it?

Intracranial pressure is an increase or decrease in the volume of cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid, which is located in the subdural space between the membranes of the brain) inside the skull. But ICP in children is not an independent disease, but only a symptom of some pathology in the body.

If increased ICP is permanent and there are disturbances in the physical or mental development of the child, it is necessary to contact a therapist or pediatric neurologist and not let the disease take its course.

How can you help?

A set of exercise therapy exercises can help cope with high blood pressure

What should you do if you notice alarming symptoms? It is recommended to seek medical help as soon as possible.

Intracranial pressure can be relieved using both medications and the following methods:

• manual therapy;
• exercise therapy;
• invasive procedures.

Carrying out additional therapy improves the general condition of the patient and relieves him of many symptoms.

Complications and prognosis

If help for a child with ICP is not provided in a timely manner, this is fraught with the following consequences:

• the baby is significantly behind in mental and anatomical development;
• hydrocephalus develops;
• The child constantly screams and is capricious.

If, from the moment of birth, parents carefully monitor the behavior of their baby, and if deviations are detected, they promptly seek advice from specialists, the prognosis is positive in the overwhelming majority. High blood pressure in a baby returns to normal, and the formation of basic systems and organs is not disrupted.

Features of drug therapy

How to relieve increased intracranial pressure?

The patient is prescribed the use of drugs from the following groups:

• diuretics;
• sedatives;
• antiarrhythmic;
• nootropic;
• eliminating cognitive impairment.

One of the most effective drugs for intracranial pressure in adults is Diacarb.

Use of diuretics

Such medications help remove excess fluid from the kidneys. At the same time, the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid decreases.

Table 5. The most effective diuretics for intracranial pressure:

Use of sedatives

Medicines in this group have a hypotensive effect. Their use has a beneficial effect on the psycho-emotional state of the patient.

Table 6. Sedative medications to reduce intracranial pressure:

Use of antiarrhythmic drugs

These drugs for lowering intracranial pressure help optimize blood circulation in the brain.

Table 7. The best antiarrhythmic drugs:

The drug "Sermion" is available in different forms. Prices in rubles for this medicine are indicated in the chart.

The cost of the medicine varies from 456 to 1664 rubles

Use of nootropics

The best nootropic drugs for increased intracranial pressure are presented in the table.

Table 8. The best Tablets for intracranial pressure in adults:

Note! Drugs in this group are prescribed only when it is necessary to influence the body with neurometabolic stimulants.

Addressing Cognitive Impairment

Medicines in this group improve memory and increase mental performance.

Table 9. Tablets for intracranial pressure in adults that improve brain function:

When trying to normalize ICP, it is important not to overdo it. Low intracranial pressure can contribute to stroke.

Treatment of intracranial pressure with medications

To normalize intracranial pressure, the following groups of medications are used:

• Nootropic drugs - stimulate mental activity and normalize blood circulation. These include Pantogam, Piracetam, Cavinton and other drugs.
• Diuretics - remove excess fluid from the body (including cerebrospinal fluid). These include Furosemide, Triampur, Diakarb, Veroshpiron, etc.
• Antibiotics - used to fight infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. These include Ceftriaxone, Penicillin, Azithromycin, Amoxiclav, etc.
• Neuroprotectors - calm the nervous system, protect brain cells from various damages, prevent their death and improve their functioning. Among them, the most effective are Glycine, Nervohel, etc.
• Sedatives - normalize the child’s mental state, restore the functions of the nervous system (Persen, Afobazol, etc.).

Giving a child any medications without the consent of the attending physician is strictly not recommended (since the drug can aggravate the baby’s condition). The doctor will select the required dosage and prescribe a course of therapy.

How to help children?

Parents of small children should take them for walks more often and arrange for them to sleep in the fresh air

Can intracranial pressure be treated in a child? If you consult a specialist in a timely manner, the prognosis is favorable. The choice of therapeutic tactics depends on the disease that is caused by an increase in ICP.

Instructions for the treatment of intracranial pressure in children are as follows:

1. Normalize the rest and feeding regime. The child should eat and sleep at the same time.
2. Take long walks. Their duration varies from 60 to 180 minutes. It is useful for young children not only to play, but also to sleep in the fresh air.
3. Give the child medications prescribed by the doctor for treatment. Children are prescribed nicotinic acid, Cavinton.
4. Undergo physiotherapeutic treatment.

The operation is performed only for neoplasms and anatomical abnormalities.

Diagnostic methods

How to determine that a child’s ICP has changed? First of all, you need to consult a neurologist. After a thorough questioning and examination, the doctor will prescribe instrumental studies and consultations with related specialists as necessary.

The following diagnostic techniques can be used:

1. Neurosonography is an ultrasound examination of the child’s brain, which is carried out through an open fontanel. This technique is informative only until the fontanelle closes.
2. Magnetic resonance and computed tomography - which will allow you to assess the presence and level of changes in the structures of brain tissue, determine the presence of neoplasms, and identify changes in the lumen of the pathways through which cerebrospinal fluid is excreted.
3. X-ray examination - determines structural anomalies of the skull bones.
4. Dopplerography is a study of the condition of the blood vessels of the brain.
5. Lumbar puncture is a technique for examining cerebrospinal fluid that allows you to accurately determine changes in ICP. But before checking the indicators of this study, a full range of other procedures are prescribed, and only if they prove unsuccessful is a puncture prescribed.
6. Method of direct measurement of pressure inside the skull - how ICP is measured using this method: a needle with a pressure gauge must be inserted into the baby’s head, which will allow you to obtain accurate pressure values ​​and compare them with normal ones.

In some cases, intracranial pressure is determined in a child after a visit to an ophthalmologist, since a prolonged increase in ICP causes changes in the fundus of the eye - dilation of the lumen of the veins and narrowing of the arteries, swelling of the eye disc appears.

The best alternative medicine

Treatment with tablets can be supplemented with traditional medicine.

Table 10. Use of folk remedies:

Note! It is not recommended to treat children with folk remedies.

Dietary recommendations

How to lower cranial pressure with diet?

The nutritional principles look like this:

• you need to have dinner 4 hours before bedtime;
• daily water requirement – ​​1.5 l;
• number of meals per day – 5-6.

The diagram shows the daily intake of useful elements (g).

Particular attention should be paid to vegetable proteins and fats

The plate indicates the products that are recommended to be included in the menu.

Table 11. What you can eat:

Performing gymnastic exercises

The set of exercises is aimed at normalizing blood pressure and returning the body to the desired tone. Before performing them, you should definitely consult your doctor.

Table 12. Gymnastics to reduce intracranial pressure:

Note! All exercises are performed at a slow pace. Sudden movements are not allowed.

Possible complications

If left untreated, epilepsy may develop

What is the risk of intracranial pressure?

Possible complications include:

• development of epilepsy;
• blurred vision;
• psychical deviations;
• respiratory dysfunction;
• development of hemorrhagic stroke;
• disorder of consciousness;
• development of ischemic stroke.