What is Hydrocephalus?

‘Hydrocephalus’ describes conditions in which there is a build up of excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the chambers of the brain, which compresses the surrounding tissue and raises the pressure inside the skull.

Hydrocephalus comes from the Greek ‘hydro’ meaning water and ‘cephalie’, meaning brain.

Check out our video 'Get Inside My Head' which offers an easy to understand explanation of the condition, ideal for anyone living with or affected by Hydrocephalus.

 

What are the effects of Hydrocephalus?

Hydrocephalus can be associated with learning difficulties affecting concentration, reasoning, short-term memory, co-ordination, motivation, organisational skills and language. Physical effects may include visual problems, or early puberty in children.

Many of these effects can be reduced through teaching strategies or with treatment where relevant. The effects of hydrocephalus can vary greatly from one individual to another and some people will have very few, if any, problems.

What causes Hydrocephalus?

Hydrocephalus is caused by an inability of CSF to drain away into the bloodstream.

There are many reasons why this can happen, from differences in the way the brain develops, to failure of fluid absorption in an otherwise typical brain, or damage to brain tissue through head injury, haemorrhage or infection.