September is Intracranial Hypertension awareness month and jeez how IH has changed my life. I was diagnosed January of 2009 and at that time was full of life, energy, laughter and hopes and dreams. I first knew something was wrong when I was having unbelievable headaches that just would not go away. To describe an IH headache, is to think of a vice being placed on your head and squeezing it as tight as possible till it feels like it is going to explode.
The pressure is extremely intense. Also with IH, there are two types of pressure you can have...high pressure and low pressure. When your pressure is high like mine was when this all first started, it can cause pressure behind your optic nerves as well which can lead to an eye disease called papilledema where you can lose sight as well as go totally blind. I have gone from 20/20 vision to bifocals in just a few years.
I had to have a shunt placed right away to try and save my vision from getting worse. My papilledema has gone away and I have gone to low pressure headaches now. This is where you do not have enough fluid around your brain to keep it cushioned, mine is draining too much now and my Lord is it painful. I truly wish there was a great way to describe the pain better, but it is the worst headache you can ever imagine and it just never goes away. It gets to the point my neck hurts just as bad as well as my eyes too. I can't even touch my head when it gets too bad, just way too painful.
IH is my worst nightmare.
By Cindy Urso
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