Key Takeaways
- Understanding intracranial hypertension seniors is important for seniors and their caregivers.
- Symptoms may include any of the following:
- Your health care provider will perform a physical exam.
- The treatment is aimed at the cause of IIH.
- The condition sometimes disappears on its own within 6 months.
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What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?
Understanding intracranial hypertension seniors is important for seniors and their caregivers. the condition occurs more often in women than men, especially in young obese women 20 to 40 years old. It is rare in infants, but can occur in children. Before puberty, it occurs equally in boys and girls.
The cause is unknown.
Certain medicines can increase the risk of developing this condition. These medicines include:
- Amiodarone
- Birth control pills such as levonorgestrel
- Cyclosporine
- Cytarabine
- Growth hormone
- Isotretinoin
- Levothyroxine (children)
- Lithium carbonate
- Minocycline
- Nitrofurantoin
- Phenytoin
- Steroids (starting or stopping them)
- Sulfa antibiotics
- Tamoxifen
- Tetracycline
- Certain medicines that contain Vitamin A, such as cis-retinoic acid (Accutane)
The following factors are also related to this condition:
-
Down syndrome
- Behcet disease
-
Chronic kidney failure
-
Endocrine (hormone) disorders such as
Addison disease
,
Cushing disease
,
hypoparathyroidism
,
polycystic ovary syndrome
-
Following treatment by embolization of an
arteriovenous malformation
-
Infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS,
Lyme disease
, and following chickenpox in children
- Iron deficiency anemia
-
Obesity
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Pregnancy
- Sarcoidosis (a disease that causes inflammation of the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, or other tissues)
-
Systemic lupus erythematosus
-
Turner syndrome
What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?
Symptoms may include any of the following:
- Headaches, throbbing, daily, irregular and worse in the morning
- Neck pain
- Blurred vision
-
Buzzing sound in the ears (
tinnitus
)
-
Dizziness
-
Double vision
(diplopia)
-
Nausea, vomiting
- Vision problems such as flashing lights or even loss of vision
- Low back pain, radiating along both legs
Headaches may get worse during physical activity, especially when you tighten the stomach muscles during coughing or straining.
📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
What Are Exams and Tests?
Your health care provider will perform a physical exam. Signs of this condition include:
- Swelling of the optic nerve in the back of the eye (papilledema)
- Vision problems including loss of peripheral vision
- Inward turning of the eye toward the nose (sixth cranial, or abducens, nerve palsy)
Even though there is increased pressure in the skull, there is no change in alertness.
Tests that may be done include:
- Funduscopic exam of the eyes
-
CT scan of the head
-
Eye exam, including
visual field
testing
-
MRI of the head
with MR venography
-
Lumbar puncture
(spinal tap)
The diagnosis is made when other health conditions have been checked for and not found. These include conditions that may cause increased pressure in the skull, such as:
-
Hydrocephalus
- Tumor
- Venous sinus thrombosis
- Infection
📖 How Is It Treated?
How Is It Treated?
The treatment is aimed at the cause of IIH. The main goal of treatments is to preserve vision and reduce the severity of headaches.
A
lumbar puncture
(spinal tap) can help relieve pressure in the brain and prevent vision problems. Repeat lumbar punctures are helpful for pregnant women in order to delay surgery until after delivery.
Other treatments may include:
- Fluid or salt restriction
- Medicines such as corticosteroids, acetazolamide, furosemide, and topiramate
- Shunting procedures to relieve pressure from spinal fluid buildup
- Surgery to relieve pressure on the optic nerve
- Weight loss
- Treatment of the underlying disease, such as vitamin A overdose
People will need to have their vision closely monitored. There can be vision loss, which is sometimes permanent. Follow-up MRI or CT scans may be done to check for problems such as tumors or hydrocephalus (buildup of fluid inside the skull).
In some cases, the pressure inside the brain remains high for many years. Symptoms can return in some people. A small number of people have symptoms that slowly get worse and lead to blindness.
📖 What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?
The condition sometimes disappears on its own within 6 months. Symptoms can return in some people. A small number of people have symptoms that slowly get worse and lead to blindness.
📖 What Are Possible Complications?
What Are Possible Complications?
Vision loss is a serious complication of this condition.
📖 When to Contact a Medical Professional?
When to Contact a Medical Professional?
Contact your provider if you or your child has any of the symptoms listed above.
Pseudotumor cerebri syndrome; Benign intracranial hypertension
-
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
-
Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)
Alrobaian
M, Miller NR. Pseudotumor cerebri. In: Winn HR, ed.
Youmans and Winn
Neurological Surgery.
8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 189.
Rosenberg
GA. Brain edema and disorders of cerebrospinal fluid circulation. In: Jankovic
J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds.
Bradley and Daroff’s Neurology
in Clinical Practice.
8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 88.
Safier RA,
Cleves-Bayon C, Gaesser J. Neurology. In: Zitelli BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, Garrison
J, eds.
Zitelli and Davis’ Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis.
8th
ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier, 2023:chap 16.
Updated by: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
-
Brain Diseases
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
Your health care provider will perform a physical exam. The treatment is aimed at the cause of IIH.
What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?
What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?
Headaches, throbbing, daily, irregular and worse in the morning
Neck pain
Blurred vision
Buzzing sound in the ears (
tinnitus
)
Dizziness
Double vision
(diplopia)
Nausea, vomiting
Vision problems such as flashing lights or even loss of vision
Low back pain, radiating along both legs
Headaches may get worse during physical activity, especially when you tighten the stomach muscles during coughing or straining. 📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
What Are Exams and Tests?
Swelling of the optic nerve in the back of the eye (papilledema)
Vision problems including loss of peripheral vision
Inward turning of the eye toward the nose (sixth cranial, or abducens, nerve palsy)
Even though there is increased pressure in the skull, there is no change in alertness. Tests that may be done include:
Funduscopic exam of the eyes
CT scan of the head
Eye exam, including
visual field
testing
MRI of the head
with MR venography
Lumbar puncture
(spinal tap)
The diagnosis is made when other health conditions have been checked for and not found.
How Is It Treated?
lumbar puncture
(spinal tap) can help relieve pressure in the brain and prevent vision problems.
About the Author: This article was researched and written by the SilverWell Hub editorial team. It was medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Mitchell, MD, Geriatrics.
Sources: This article is adapted from MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. See our full Medical Disclaimer.
Published: July 21, 2026 | Next review: January 2027
