Hydrocephalus
Not everyone who has an ABI goes on to develop Hydrocephalus. This can sometimes form as a ‘secondary complication’ so if you haven’t heard anything about hydrocephalus before this probably doesn’t affect you.
Hydrocephalus is when you have too much (CSF) in your and there is no room for the . This can sometimes be because when you hurt your head, the way in which CSF is absorbed was changed.
Hydrocephalus can be treated by having an called a ‘shunt insertion’. If you have hydrocephalus you would already have had this operation.
Sometimes, the shunt can get blocked and you can start to feel ill. If you have shunt and have any of these symptoms, you must always consider that your shunt is blocked.
The things to look out for are as follows.
- Headache
- Feeling sick
- Feeling sleepy or being hard to wake up.
- Disliking light or noise.
- Feeling tearful and upset.
If you are at all worried that your shunt might be blocked, you should just go to hospital. You won’t get shouted at if it turns out just to be a headache!
Once you have had a shunt for while you will soon get to know how your body works. Some people know that the headache they get when their shunt is blocked is very different to the sort of headache they get usually.
Once you get to hospital the doctors will run some tests to see if your shunt is blocked and will send you to have a CT scan. If it is blocked they will drain some CSF out of the button although it nearly all cases you will need to have another operation to fix the shunt, clear the blockage and make sure it is draining properly.
“There is lot’s to know about Shunts. Click here if you want to know more.”
“I have a shunt. I had it after my ABI. Click here to find out what it is like.”