Why Weight Loss Matters

How has weight affected your Intracranial Hypertension?

No doubt, one of the first things your doctor suggested upon diagnosis was to lose weight.

Why?

While the medical field is still trying to figure out exactly what causes IH, there seems to be a high percentage of patients with IH who are overweight or obese. In fact, many patients develop this condition after or during a period of significant weight gain. As obesity rates increase, Intracranial Hypertension is being found to be less and less rare.

But it’s not just about the weight loss.

What’s Causing the Weight?

While aiming for a healthy weight in general is always important, doctors will often specifically recommend a diet low in carbs and salt to help with this weight loss.

First off, we’re talking about Intracranial Hypertension here. Hypertension is increased fluid pressure. Sodium’s job is to manage fluid pressure in the body. Too much salt means too much pressure.

While the recommended daily intake of salt should be below 2,300 mg a day, people with a preexisting condition such as hypertension may need to cut that number drastically down. You can learn more about sodium and the body here!

But where do carbs come in?

Once consumed, carbs are converted into glucose (sugar) and used for the body’s energy. But if we eat more than we need or the wrong forms of carbs, they are converted into fat. More fat means more weight.

So should you cut out carbs completely? No! Carbs are macronutrients, which means your body requires them in your diet. But it is very important for all of us to pay attention to what we are putting into our bodies and to what extent.

Consider also how what we eat plays a direct role in hormone regulation. A hormonal imbalance is often the underlying cause of many health issues. This certainly remains true for IH, where reproductive hormones (androgens) and stress hormones (cortisol) alone can affect symptoms. Maintaining a healthy weight and diet helps keep our hormones regulated, which helps our bodies function the way they are supposed to.

Remember, it is EQUALLY important to incorporate regular exercise to help burn any extra fat, flush out excess water weight, and help restore the proper balance of your body. Learn how to Get Active & Stay Active here!

Why Weight Loss Didn’t Work for Me

My IH developed following the birth of my son. While yes, I did gain a decent amount of weight during pregnancy, I was actively losing weight during the post-partum months that my symptoms began to develop. It would be safe then to say that my weight was not a cause or trigger to my symptoms.

In fact, it was actually my normal BMI that was giving me such a hard time finding a doctor to believe I even had IH. Many would simply look at me, say I didn’t fit the criteria, and discharge me. They were unwilling to think outside of the box.

Still, with my diagnosis, my neurologist suggested weight loss, even if it was just five pounds. Believe it or not, sometimes losing just five pounds can actually be enough for some people to keep symptoms under control. I, however, was not concerned.

When symptoms progressed, my doctor had the conversation with me again, explaining this time how fat, hormones, and the diet can cause symptoms to arise. Desperate, I went for it.

At first, fear was enough to motivate me. Fear that whatever I ate would turn into pain. Workouts were motivated by visualizing the sickness storing fat cells being burned and eliminated.

I began to lose weight, but symptoms continued.

Unfortunately, symptoms continued so aggressively that I began to lose weight unintentionally. By the time I had shunt surgery, I had lost 15 lb. I was 2 lbs away from being underweight. Not only was I still dealing with symptoms despite weight loss, but I was now experiencing worsening stomach issues.

It was clear that in my case, weight had never been the cause, nor was it the cure.

However, during this time, I did learn to pay closer attention to my diet. Although I never found a set trigger, it did seem to be true that high amounts of sodium aggravated the pressure. Certain foods such as pizza or salt-laden sandwiches also didn’t agree with my symptoms.

While nothing is ever consistent with this condition, there is definitely a direct relation between our diets and our health. I do believe that, regardless of the weight, certain foods should only be enjoyed lightly, if at all. And then perhaps you may be like me, where it isn’t the number on the scale that matters, but how you are treating your body.

What If It Doesn’t Work for You?

If weight loss and diet change have not helped relieve your IH symptoms, it may be safe to rule out that weight and diet were not the cause of your condition to begin with.

But do not give up! Always remember that there are people working nonstop every day to find the answers to this condition. Sharing your experiences, whether successes or failures, only help us all grow closer to that cure!