September = Hydrocephalus Awareness

HYDROCEPHALUS

What is Hydrocephalus?

     Hydrocephalus is commonly referred to as "water on the brain." The so-called "water" is actually cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a clear liquid that looks like water and is produced in the 4 ventricles (cavities) of the brain, connected by narrow pathways.

Causes?

Hydrocephalus has a variety of causes including:

• congenital brain defects
• hemorrhage, either into the ventricles or the subarachnoid space
• infection of the central nervous system (syphilis, herpes, meningitis, encephalitis, or mumps)
• tumor

Hydrocephalus is believed to occur in approximately one to two of every 1,000 live births. The incidence of adult onset hydrocephalus is not known. There is no known way to prevent hydrocephalus.

Facts About Hydrocephalus

Although you may have not heard the word hydrocephalus (hi-dro-seff-a-lus), it is not an uncommon condition. Hydrocephalus has no ethnic or gender preferences – and it can develop at any time during gestation all the way through to senior adulthood.

Here are a few facts about Hydrocephalus:

• Hydrocephalus is one of the most common birth defects, each year one out of every 500 births results in hydrocephalus
• Another 6,000 children annually develop hydrocephalus during the first 2 years of life
• Brain injury occurs every 15 seconds in this country - and in some cases leads to the development of hydrocephalus
• There are approximately 75,000 discharges a year from hospitals in the U.S. with a diagnosis of hydrocephalus
• More than 50% of hydrocephalus cases are congenital
• 70-90% of children born with spina bifida also develop hydrocephalus
• CSF shunting procedures account for approximately $100 million health care spending in the United States alone - half of this amount is spent on shunt revisions
• In the past 25+ years, death rates associated with hydrocephalus have decreased from 54% to 5%, and the occurrence of intellectual disability has decreased from 62% to 30%
• Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus affects adults and can cause dementia, difficulty in walking and, urinary incontinence
• No statistics are kept (by our government), for those who develop

Signs of Hydrocephalus

Congenital Signs normally found in infants and children
EARLY	Enlargement of the head Irritability Lethargic	Feeds poorly/Decrease in appetite Recurrent vomiting Prefers to be alone
LATER	Distended scalp veins High-pitched cry Increased muscle tone	Enlarged and bulging fontanel "Sunset Eyes" (downward gaze)
Acquired Signs normally found in older children, teens, and adults
EARLY	Increased intracranial pressure Headache Decrease in appetite Lethargic Nausea Vomiting Double vision	Deteriorating mental capabilities Irritability Restlessness Personality changes Incontinence Difficulty in walking
LATER	Seizures

Please note that these are just the most common signs - and it doesn't mean that a patient who is suffering a malfunction will follow all these signs. And no two malfunctions are alike, although they may be similar.

Treatment?

The most common treatment for Hydrocephalus is to use a shunt.      

A shunt is a mechanical device designed to transport the excess CSF from or near the point of obstruction to a re-absorption site and it is implanted under the skin.
There are many different types of shunts, but there is no perfect shunt. The quest continues for one, the shunt manufacturers are always trying to achieve this goal.

Having a shunt is a lifetime commitment. Once a shunt is implanted, it is not a "one time" operation. Life expectancy of a shunt averages 10 years. However, a shunt can last 5 minutes to many years. It is wise to always be aware of the warning signs for a "shunt malfunction."

Shunt Malfunctions

If an obstruction or other problem is found within the shunt system, one or more components of the shunt may need to be replaced. When this occurs, surgery is necessary.

Some of the problems that can cause a shunt malfunction are:

• Infection
• Blockage
• Calcification or breakage of the catheters
• Separation (catheters may disconnect from the valve and reservoir unit)
• Valve is broken or stuck
• Wrong pressure valve (usually found in a fixed shunt)
• Catheter needs lengthening
• Over-drainage or under-drainage

     Jacob's come a long way in his short 18 years. He's had 4 brain surgeries due to Hydrocephalous

which I thought was a lot but we've met many that have had 50-100 and they are young.There is no

cure and many face constant headaches and everyday pains. We went to Hydrocephalous camp in

Texas a couple of years ago and learned we ARE NOT alone in this daily battle. We now have many

Hydro Warrior friends and their families to help along this journey.

     Though September's almost over I spread awareness anytime I can. Jacob is my HERO!!!

Thanks to

for the information I've shared.