Is intracranial hypertension a serious condition? Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a disorder associated with high pressure in the brain. Although IIH is not a brain tumor, it can still cause serious health problems. Seeing a doctor right away to quickly diagnose symptoms and start treatment can help prevent complications. Synonyms for idiopathic intracranial hypertension mild intracranial hypertension pseudotumor cerebri What is intracranial hypertension Intracranial hypertension (IH) is characterized by elevated pressure inside the skull. Intracranial means inside the skull, and hypertension means high fluid pressure. Intracranial hypertension means that the pressure of the fluid that surrounds the brain (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF) is too high. Elevated CSF pressure can cause two problems, severe headache and vision loss. If elevated CSF pressure is left untreated, permanent vision loss or blindness can result. Pseudotumor cerebri and benign intracranial hypertension are both former names for IH, which are now considered inaccurate. These names do not adequately describe the disorder and downplay the seriousness of IH. Signs and Symptoms The most common symptom is often an unbearably painful or frequent headache, sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which is not relieved by medication. The headache often wakes the patient from sleep. Some patients are treated in the emergency room, where, as a last resort, a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) is performed to temporarily relieve the headache. During these procedures, patients are encouraged to have their opening pressure measured to assess for intracranial hypertension. Other common symptoms include transient altered vision, especially when moving or bending over, intracranial noise (synchronous pulse noise), stiff neck, back and shoulder pain, pain behind the eye, exercise intolerance, and memory difficulties. Cause In the idiopathic or primary type (IIH), obesity is considered a factor in young women. However, only a small fraction of obese people develop IH, so other unknown causes have yet to be determined. A number of potential causes of secondary intracranial hypertension have been outlined above. It is important to note that in secondary IH, unlike IIH, obesity, gender, age and race are NOT risk factors, but may be present. The mechanism by which IH occurs is unknown, but several possibilities have been suggested. Most studies support the theory that there is resistance or obstruction to the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid through normal existing pathways in the brain, leading to a relative overproduction of fluid. Can intracranial hypertension be cured? In the long term, weight loss is necessary in the treatment of IIH that is caused by obesity. Many researchers have shown that weight loss is a cure for patients with IIH caused by obesity. In general, a weight loss of 10 to 20% of body weight is needed to cure IIH.