Definition
ICP signs are clinical symptoms and examination findings that indicate the presence of increased intracranial pressure. Initially, these include general symptoms such as headaches, nausea and vomiting as well as possibly increased fatigue and loss of appetite. If the increase in intracranial pressure persists over a longer period of time, damage to the optic nerve may result.
This causes visual disorders such as a reduction in visual acuity, which is why these are also considered to be intracranial pressure signs. The same applies to the detection of a congestion papilla (bulging, reddening and blurring of the optic nerve) when reflecting the fundus of the eye (ophthalmoscopy). Finally, radiological images (CT or MRI) can also reveal signs of cerebral pressure, for example in the form of dilated ventricle spaces (brain compartments containing cerebral fluid).
Symptoms
The most important symptoms, which can be understood as signs of cerebral pressure, are first of all These symptoms, however, are very unspecific and in many cases rather due to a flu-like infection or a gastrointestinal disease. The additional presence of visual disturbances, which develop over a longer period of time, speaks in favor of an increased intracranial pressure as the cause of the complaints. At this point at the latest, it is essential to consult a doctor in order to be able to counteract further consequential damage.
If an increase in intracranial pressure is not recognized for a long time or is not treated adequately, it can also lead to movement disorders and numbness in various parts of the body. Increasing hiccups also indicate that the situation is getting worse. The additional occurrence of fever and stiff neck speaks for the presence of meningitis as the cause of the increased intracranial pressure and should result in immediate intensive medical care.
- Headaches
- Nausea and
- Vomiting.
- Increased fatigue
- Reduced resilience in professional and everyday life and
- Increasing loss of appetite.
Hiccups play a role primarily in patients in whom a tumor is the cause of increased intracranial pressure. Even if hiccups may sound harmless at first, they can easily cause considerable mental stress for those affected (including sleep disorders). Therefore, a physician should be consulted if hiccups occur frequently and persist for a long time.
This doctor can first assess the likelihood of the presence of increased intracranial pressure as the cause by means of possible other symptoms and with the aid of an eye examination or radiological images. In addition to the specific treatment of the increase in intracranial pressure, hiccups can also be treated separately, for example with proton pump inhibitors (stomach acid blockers such as pantoprazole) or prokinetics (for nausea/vomiting such as domperidone). Common household remedies (holding your breath, drinking water, etc.) usually only provide short-term relief, if at all.
