Cerebral Oedema
Cerebral oedema is an abnormal build-up of fluid within brain tissue, causing pressure to rise inside the skull. Because the skull cannot expand, even modest swelling can compress vital structures rapidly. It is a medical emergency, and outcomes depend almost entirely on how quickly treatment begins.
Medicines used to treat Cerebral Oedema
Why it develops and how it is managed
The most common triggers include traumatic head injury, stroke, brain tumours, severe infections such as bacterial meningitis, and altitude sickness seen in travellers to high regions across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Metabolic causes, including severe hyponatraemia, account for a significant share of hospital cases in the region.
Corticosteroids are a mainstay where oedema surrounds a tumour or is driven by inflammation. Dexamethasone reduces the permeability of blood vessels around the affected tissue and is widely used across Asian tertiary hospitals in these settings. Osmotic agents such as mannitol draw excess water out of brain tissue and are used alongside or instead of steroids depending on the cause.
Any sudden severe headache, confusion, vomiting, seizure, or loss of consciousness warrants immediate emergency assessment.