Overview
A cerebrospinal fluid leak is when the fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord leaks out from where it’s supposed to be. If the leak is large enough, it can cause severe symptoms that make it hard or even impossible to go about your life as usual.
What is cerebrospinal fluid?
Your brain and spinal cord have a surrounding protective layer of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF contains nutrients that your brain can use. The CSF layer also supports and cushions your brain and spinal cord from sudden movements.
The effect is similar to putting a grape inside a jar. If the jar is empty and you give it a good shake, you’ll bruise or damage the grape. That’s what would happen to your brain if you had no CSF. But if you fill the jar with water and then shake it, the water slows down how fast the grape moves and cushions it, preventing damage.
Who does it affect?
Spontaneous CSF leaks are more likely in people over 30 (the average age to have them is 42). People assigned female at birth are also much more likely to develop spontaneous CSF leaks.
How common is a CSF leak?
Having a CSF leak causes a drop in fluid pressure inside your head. That causes a condition known as intracranial hypotension (“intracranial” means “inside your skull” and “hypotension” means “lower than normal pressure”). Intracranial hypotension is a rare condition, and about 5 people out of every 100,000 have it.
However, it’s very likely that CSF leaks happen more often than that number suggests. Experts don’t know exactly how common CSF leaks are because they’re difficult to diagnose. It’s also common for healthcare providers to misdiagnose a CSF leak as another condition, like migraine, sinus infections or allergies.
How does this condition affect my body?
There’s less fluid to surround, support and cushion your brain when you have a CSF leak. If the leak is small, it might not cause noticeable effects, or you might notice symptoms and mistake them for something else.
If the leak is large enough to cause intracranial hypotension, your brain will sink downward in your skull, putting too much pressure on its lower sections. That can disrupt how those parts of your brain work, causing symptoms ranging from minor and barely noticeable to severe and unbearable.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
Living with atrial fibrillation?
Heart Rhythm Conditions Discussions
Comments are closed for this post.