Treatments For Cerebral Edema

Cerebral edema is something that can occur for a variety of reasons and is life-threatening if allowed to continue for too long. At the base level, it is defined as swelling of the brain. This can be due to excess fluids, such as what would occur during a stroke or injury to the head with bleeding. It can also happen if you experience any head trauma. The body produces an inflammation response immediately, and part of this is an increase in swelling at the site of impact. Regardless of the cause, there are treatment options available to prevent complications.

Surgery

A couple of types of surgery can be done to treat cerebral edema. The first is what's called a craniectomy, which is where the surgeon removes a part of the skull that typically surrounds and protects the brain. This allows a space for the brain to expand, rather than to continue pressing against the skull. The compression has the potential to increase pressure and cause tissue death, and this type of surgery can prevent that.

Another option is to remove any lesions on the brain contributing to the swelling. Many lesions can continually trigger the inflammation response by the body, and will, therefore, keep additional fluid flowing to the brain. Removing them can remove the cause of cerebral edema.

Continue reading to reveal the next primary method of treating cerebral edema.