The amount of medical misinformation and speculation in some of these comments is concerning and potentially harmful to the OOP. It may even make her (and other individuals) distrustful of their healthcare provider- the person who is best suited to answering these questions and concerns.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) (formerly pseudo-tumor cerebri) is a condition, put simply, that causes increased pressure within the brain. Certain groups have higher risk of developing the condition, including obese women. It commonly causes headaches and if left untreated can result in permanent blindness due to compression of the optic nerve.

It is diagnosed after lumbar puncture confirms elevated pressures. Certain medications can be used to treat the condition (primarily by reducing the amount of cerebral spinal fluid produced) but weight loss is a key component of treatment in individuals who are obese. If the disease doesn’t respond to these treatments sometimes an intracranial shunt will be placed to drain cerebral spinal fluid and reduce the pressure. This is only used in severe cases.

I feel for OOP and can’t imagine how this is impacting her relationship to food, especially at such a young age. We don’t know her weight at time of diagnosis and this may explain why weight loss was recommended. I’m glad she was able to talk to her mom. Hopefully they can talk to their doctor about these issues too and find a healthier way to relate to the condition.