Hydrocephalus is a build-up of the clear fluid that normally cushions the brain. When the drainage system gets blocked, the fluid collects and gently stretches the brain’s chambers. The clues differ by age, but they all point to one fact: the head is under quiet pressure.

Babies

• Head grows faster than the rest of the body
• Soft spot feels tight or bulging
• Eyes turn downward so the whites show like a setting sun
• Poor feeding, easy vomiting, high-pitched cry

Toddlers and older kids

• Morning headache that fades when they sit up
• Nausea or vomiting with the headache
• Eyes cross or vision blurs
• Balance wobble—trips more than friends, feet clip each other
• Wet nights after being dry, or sudden urge to pee

Teens and adults

• Steady head pressure that is worse on waking
• Trouble concentrating, slow answers, short-term memory slips
• Double vision or short gray-outs when looking straight ahead
• Walking like on a moving train, or legs feel stuck to the floor

Seniors (normal-pressure form)

• Shuffle walk, hard to lift feet
• Mild forgetfulness that looks like “old age”
• Urgent bathroom runs, occasional leaks