Your brain is an extremely interesting and unique organ. It is the center of your nervous system.
Your brain regulates and monitors your bodys actions and reactions. Your brain continuously receives sensory information. It rapidly analyzes this data and then responds by controlling your bodily actions and functions.
Brain herniation is a condition in which the tissue of your brain, blood vessels and cerebrospinal fluid become displaced outside of the compartments in your head that they normally occupy because of an increase in intercranial pressure. This is the pressure inside of your skull. The increased pressure causes your brain to expand, but because your brain does not have anywhere to go inside of your skull, it becomes badly damaged.
Brain herniation can occur in different places. These include:
Through a natural opening at the base of your skull that is known as the foramen magnum
Through openings that result from brain surgery
Between areas inside of your skull like those that are separated by a rigid membrane that is referred to as the tentorium.
Brain herniation is known by other names. It is also referred to as uncal herniation, tonsillar herniation, herniation syndrome, herniation brain, subfalcine herniation and transtentorial herniation.
Brain herniation is caused by something inside of your skull that produces pressure that moves brain tissue, blood vessels and cerebrospinal fluid from where they are supposed to be. This happens most frequently because of brain swelling that results from a head injury. There are other things that can cause brain herniation. These include:
Build up of fluid inside of the skull (hydrocephalus)
Primary brain tumor (tumor that begins in the brain)
Metastatic brain tumor (tumor that moves to the brain from somewhere else in the body)
There are several signs and symptoms that may be an indication of brain herniation. Some of these are:
An irregular pulse
No pulse (cardiac arrest)
No breathing (respiratory arrest)
An altered mental state
Progressive loss of consciousness
Lack of coordination
Loss of all brainstem reflexes (pupils reacting to light, blinking, gagging)
You may have a loved one who has survived brain herniation. Brain herniation and/or complications that have resulted from this condition may be the reason why your loved one is disabled and cannot work.
If this is true, you may need help in caring for your loved one. You may need financial assistance.
You may have considered applying for the financial help that you need to care for your loved one from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits on behalf of your loved one because of the disability caused by brain herniation and/or complications that have resulted from this condition. You may have already done this, and your loved one was turned down by the Social Security Administration.
If you decide to reapply or appeal the denial of your loved one, always remember this. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one at Disability Case Review are approved more often than people who do not have a disability lawyer on their side.