TALLAHASSEE, FL - It's an invisible disease that affects the brain.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension or IIH for short is when the brain believes there is a brain tumor and therefore produces an excessive amount of spinal fluid.
Sarah Sims was diagnosed with the disease and shares her story on Sunrise to raise awareness.
The spinal fluid sits inside of the skull and basically suffocates the brain.
There is no cure, it is extremely painful and you eventually go blind if untreated.
There are multiple treatments for IIH to help control the symptoms.
Shunts can be added to the body, an operation called Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration can be performed, spinal taps and a drug called Diamox, as well as pain medication.
Sims said death from IIH has not been proven but there are complications that come with the disease that can kill you.
Seizures, stroke, aneurysm, infections, meningitis and even suicide.
There is not enough funding for research, therefore there's no way to find a cure.
One of Sims' goals is to reach everyone on a global level and give people hope when they feel like they've hit rock bottom.
That's one of the main reasons Sims started blogging. She said her blogs are an outlet and it also helps others.
If you want to know more about IIH from Sarah's blog and Facebook page, click here.
