How to Manage Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cavities of the brain that affects 1 to 2 out of 1000 births. Symptoms of this condition are vomiting, lethargy and expanded frontal lobes. A common treatment for hydrocephalus is to apply a ventricular shunt to relieve any built up pressure. Normally, this application works to alleviate many of the symptoms; yet, it doesn’t address one remaining problem: anxiety.Anxiety often affects individuals with hydrocephalus for a variety of reasons. It usually is associated with the displacement of the shunt and judgment from new people who aren’t aware of the condition. As a result, it’s important for people living with hydrocephalus to understand how to manage their anxiety in order to enjoy a more fulfilled life. Here are a few tips.

Things You'll Need

• Journal
• Pen
• Internet Access
• Patience

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Instructions

• 1

  Keep a journal about your condition. You can do this simply by writing down a couple of lines about your day in a journal kept next to your bed. Be sure to list out how you feel emotionally and physically in regards to your hydrocephalus; this will help in two ways. Not only will you relieve yourself of anxiety, you will also have a record of your physical health that can be referred back to in the case of an emergency.

• 2

  Tell “new people” about your hydrocephalus on a need to know basis. The key is to remember that most people are quick to judge and reject the people they don’t know and love. As a result, it’s all right to keep your condition a part of your private life until you are comfortably sure that any new person is a true friend. Then, in the rare case that the person actually rejects you, understand that he or she is not “for” you and move on to someone else who is little less shallow.

• 3

  Learn the signs and symptoms that your shunt is malfunctioning. The obvious ones are that your hydrocephalus is flaring up. Irritability increased vomiting, headaches and larger frontal lobes will mark this flare up. If you see these signs, seek immediate medical treatment. Otherwise, your fears of a shunt malfunction might be false and just a normal part of the anxiety associated with having a foreign object in your body.

• 4

  Join a support group for people who suffer with hydrocephalus. You can find one through your doctor or on the Internet. A support group will help you manage any anxiety associated with your hydrocephalus and help you meet other people who are coping with it. It’s also a great way to find out that you are not alone.

• 5

  Talk out any stressful situations related to your hydrocephalus with a close family member or friend. You will normally want to do it after a health crisis or uncomfortable social situation that is related to your hydrocephalus. Even if the person does not live with this condition, he or she can empathize and help you feel better.