Headaches Accompanied by Vision Issues Could Signal Serious Condition
April 03, 2024
No one likes having a headache that doesn't go away, but add vision issues, and it can really be terrifying.
Vision comprises just part of the symptoms behind idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a condition in which pressure inside the skull increases for no obvious reason.
According to Jon I. McIver, M.D., a board certified neurosurgeon with The Minimally Invasive Brain and Spine Center at Mercy, the condition affects predominantly women of child-bearing age.
Along with a headache behind the eyes, patients also may have a ringing in the ears that's in time with their heartbeat, as well as brief periods of blindness.
Doctors first try to treat the symptoms with medication. But if that doesn't work, a patient may eventually opt for surgery to divert spinal fluid or stenting of the major venous sinuses.
View Mercy neurosurgeon Dr. Jon McIver's interview regarding Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.
About Mercy
Founded in 1874 in Downtown Baltimore by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Medical Center is a 183-licensed bed, acute care, university-affiliated teaching hospital. Mercy has been recognized as a high-performing Maryland hospital (U.S. News & World Report); has achieved an overall 5-Star quality, safety, and patient experience rating (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services); is A-rated for Hospital Safety (Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade); and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet™ hospital. Mercy Health Services is a not-for-profit health system and the parent company of Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Personal Physicians.
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