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Comment on Would a surgical puncture to the skull relieve a pressure headache?

Disclaimer: Not a doctor.

With that said, my late father had a friend that had extreme cranial pressure on his brain, causing constant extreme migraines.

I was told that he’s literally the $6 million dollar man, because they had to install a shunt valve in his skull to relieve excess pressure on his brain.

So I guess even though the brain doesn’t inherently sense pain directly, I guess that excess pressure is still somehow sensed in the form of migraines.

Again, not a doctor, but thanks for coming to my brief Ted Talk.

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godzillabacter@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Am a doctor, this wasn’t actually a migraine and is not how migraines happen. Shunts are placed for elevated intracranial pressure, which can occur for a number of reasons, and do cause headaches. But it’s a very uncommon cause of headaches and a shunt will not fix your actual migraines or tension headaches.

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- over_clox@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Thank you for your actual medical experience 👍
  
  Now go talk to David M. and ask him, last I know he’s still alive.
  
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- ITGuyLevi@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  I used to work with a guy that had what looked a bit like a Schrader valve (I never got close and looked) a little bit behind one of his ears. I worked with him for a while but never asked what it was for. Any chance you could give some idea as to what it was for? I assumed he may have had a TBI at some point (I feel like I remember an IED story from him) and it was to relieve pressure or something.
  
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  - godzillabacter@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    No idea unfortunately, but definitely not to release pressure. You don’t get air in your brain, it’s all fluid. Outside of the hospital, all the drains drain to somewhere internal, usually the abdominal cavity
    
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    MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    There’s brain fluid in my tum tum?
    
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  - csh83669@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    I have something that looks like that. Mine is a bone mounted hearing aid. Usually there’s a little device plugged into it.
    
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3ntranced@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
So what I’m hearing is it is totally possible

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- over_clox@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  From my non-medical understanding, I believe so. But I wouldn’t seek the ancient experimental techniques others have mentioned, I’d definitely seek professional modern medical techniques and advice from neurological experts.
  
  I hope your headaches aren’t quite that bad to warrant such a procedure, as apparently it was quite expensive.
  
  This probably isn’t the best community to ask such a question though. Please consult a qualified experienced medical doctor/surgeon.
  
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- ivanafterall@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  If you’re looking for brain shunts, I’ve got a shunt guy…
  
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ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
That’s actually a semi common procedure, and hardly makes you a $6,000,000 man. 2 kids per 1,000 are born with Hydrocephalus and will get these shunts put into place, draining the access spinal fluid from their skull, down into their stomach.

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