Nobody thinks twice about a runny nose. What more do you need to deal with it rather than a bunch of tissue papers? That’s what US woman Kendra Jackson from Omaha, Nebraska did when her nose leaked for years without let up. “Everywhere I went I always had a box of Puffs, always stuffed in my pocket,” she told KETV Omaha. She was always sniffling, blowing into her handkerchief and staying up at night thanks to her runny nose. Like anybody, Kendra suspected that it was just a regular flare-up of her seasonal allergies. She also had constant headaches as a result.

Imagine her horror when she realised that the mucous dribbling out of her nose was not snot at all but cerebral fluid in which the brain floats. Kendra was diagnosed with CSF or cerebrospinal fluid leak where the liquid that surrounds and cushions the brain and the spinal cord starts leaking. It usually happens if there is a tear or a hole in the membrane that holds the fluid. In 2013, a car accident caused Kendra’s head to bang against the dashboard. Her headaches and runny nose started a couple of years later, and by then, the doctors failed to tie her accident to CSF leak conclusively. She was leaking half a cup of cerebrospinal fluid every day, which is half of what a person produces.

What is Cerebrospinal Fluid?

The brain and the spinal cord are cushioned by a fluid which helps the organs float, absorbing shock before it gets to them. The fluid is made of a group of cells called the choroid plexus. Apart from protecting the organs, the fluid also carries nutrients from the blood to the brain and eliminates the waste products. It maintains homeostasis in the cranium.

What is CSF Leak?

According to CSF Leak Association, the condition stems from a tear or a hole in the membrane that holds the cerebral fluid. When the fluid, responsible for giving support and buoyance to the brain, leaks out, it reduces the intracranial pressure, causing the brain to sag. The fluid may leak from the nose or ears and drain into the throat. The leak may be spontaneous or non-spontaneous; traumatic or non-traumatic. It’s a rare condition that affects one in 50,000 individuals.

What are the Symptoms of CSF Leak?

People with CSF leak experience continuous headaches, pressure within the head, vision problems, hearing impairment, muscle twitches, spasms, facial numbness, dripping liquid sensations around the crown, chronic fatigue, nausea, vomiting, metallic-salty taste on the tongue, dizziness, unsteady gait, increased heart rate, breathing problems, ringing in the ears, phonophobia or sensitivity to sounds, neck pain, back pain and localised pain at the site of the leak. The classic sign of CSF leak is a headache that gets worse on standing up and abates on lying down.

How is CSF Leak Treated?

On being diagnosed, CSF leak is treated first with a lumbar epidural blood patch, irrespective of the location of the leak. Surgical repair of the leak is also known to be quite successful.

The doctors have performed a minimally invasive surgery on Kendra and the doctors seem to have made a full recovery. Although it is a rare problem, CSF leaks can be dangerous if treatment is delayed. It could have led to life-threatening complications such as meningitis, stroke and brain infections.

(Reference: Spontaneous spinal cerebrospinal fluid leaks: a review)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2018 03:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).