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September is IIH Awareness Month, honoring those diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Optimism, gratitude, and meaning-making were as vital to healing as the surgery itself.

It seems that every cause has a designated day or month to raise awareness for that individual ailment. Well, September is upon us, and it is designated as IIH Awareness Month. Thirty days to recognize those diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and their journey towards recovery. Like many of you, this campaign did not mean anything to me in the years past, and I had never even heard of IIH. Times have changed, and in March of 2025, I found myself becoming an expert through my own diagnosis of this rare disease. IIH is not something you are at risk of dying from, but it is something you are challenged to live with. From headaches to tinnitus and nausea to loss of vision, those managing IIH need to stay on top of their health to maintain a high quality of life.

Let’s talk a bit about what IIH is and who it is likely to affect

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is defined exactly as it reads. Idiopathic means there is no specific reason why you may have this problem. Intracranial translates to in your head. Hypertension refers to high pressure caused by fluid retention.

Essentially, your body has produced an excess of cerebrospinal fluid that is now trapped between your skull and brain rather than draining properly through the sinus veins and back into your........

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