Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension - How Can Orthoptists Help Improve Care?

Abstract

Care for people with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) needs improving and I think orthoptists are in a perfect position to help. The problems with IIH care are multi-fold:  People with fulminant IIH are still losing sight due to delayed diagnosis or mismanagement.People with IIH often have a poor quality of life due to disabling chronic headaches and poor mental health.There is a lack of access to evidence-based weight-loss interventions and support.Weight stigma in healthcare remains pervasive and damaging and disproportionately impacts women.Functional vision loss and headaches in IIH can complicate the interpretation of visual function which can have implications for management.There is a lack of evidence to support treatment options. Below I will describe the issues in more detail and outline the ways in which we as orthoptists can help this patient group.