There are several signs that someone has hydrocephalus. Signs and symptoms can differ depending on what age the child is when hydrocephalus begins. System Infants Toddlers and Young and middle Older adults Children aged adults Physical An unusually large Abnormal appearance of head that rapidly enlargement of the head increases in size head A bulging or tense soft spot on the top of the head Vision and eyes Eyes fixed downwards Blurred or double Impaired vision vision ‘sunsetting eyes’ Neurological Sleepiness & Irritability and change Difficulty in irritability in personality remaining awake or Seizures Seizures waking up A high pitched cry Extreme sleepiness Headache* Headache* Memory and Problems with Decline in memory, Memory loss concentration attention concentration and Progressive loss of Decline in school other thinking skills other thinking or performance that may affect job reasoning skills performance Musculoskeletal Deficits in muscle Delays in walking Loss of coordination Difficulty walking, tone and strength, and talking or balance often described as a repsonsiviness to Problems with shuffling gait or the touch and expected previously acquired feeling of being stuck growth skills (e.g. walking) Poor coordination or Unstable Balance and balance poor coordination Slower than normal movements Gastrointestinal Vomiting** Nausea or vomiting** Poor feeding Poor appetite Genitourinary Loss of bladder Loss of bladder control or frequent control or frequent urge to urinate urge to urinate *Headache the pain is normally in the morning and worse after lying down – **Vomiting usually in the morning and without associated nausea – Images for identification of hydrocephalus: How is hydrocephalus diagnosed? Sometimes they can diagnose hydrocephalus based on how someone looks. This is particularly the case for infants who have large heads, or sunset eyes. Hydrocephalus is diagnosed through clinical neurological evaluation and by using cranial imaging techniques such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or pressure-monitoring techniques.
There are several signs that someone has hydrocephalus. Signs and symptoms can differ depending on what age the child is when hydrocephalus begins. System Infants Toddlers and Children Young and middle aged adults Older adults Physical appearance of head An unusually large head that rapidly increases in size A bulging or tense soft spot on the top of the head Abnormal enlargement of the head Vision and eyes Eyes fixed downwards ‘sunsetting eyes’ Blurred or double vision Impaired vision Neurological Sleepiness & irritability Seizures A high pitched cry Irritability and change in personality Seizures Extreme sleepiness Headache* Difficulty in remaining awake or waking up Headache* Memory and concentration Problems with attention Decline in school performance Decline in memory, concentration and other thinking skills that may affect job performance Memory loss Progressive loss of other thinking or reasoning skills Musculoskeletal Deficits in muscle tone and strength, repsonsiviness to touch and expected growth Delays in walking and talking Problems with previously acquired skills (e.g. walking) Unstable Balance and poor coordination Loss of coordination or balance Difficulty walking, often described as a shuffling gait or the feeling of being stuck Poor coordination or balance Slower than normal movements Gastrointestinal Vomiting** Poor feeding Nausea or vomiting** Poor appetite Genitourinary Loss of bladder control or frequent urge to urinate Loss of bladder control or frequent urge to urinate *Headache – the pain is normally in the morning and worse after lying down **Vomiting – usually in the morning and without associated nausea Images for identification of hydrocephalus: How is hydrocephalus diagnosed? Sometimes they can diagnose hydrocephalus based on how someone looks. This is particularly the case for infants who have large heads, or sunset eyes. Hydrocephalus is diagnosed through clinical neurological evaluation and by using cranial imaging techniques such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or pressure-monitoring techniques.
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