I’ve received countless of e-mails, social media posts and messages from friends and loved followers wanting to know more about a brain aneurysm and its symptoms. You can consider a brain aneurysm to be similar to a heart attack, just like a person may have no warning of an impending heart attack, there almost is never a warning sign before a brain aneurysm is about to rupture. I am blessed and lucky to have found my brain aneurysm due to the symptoms I felt and my persistence to get myself checked immediately, knowing my body so well.
Brain Aneurysm Facts, Symptoms and How to Diagnose It!
Loren’s brain aneurysm, operated on by Dr. Aman Patel
- What is a brain aneurysm?
An aneurysm is an abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel that causes outward bulging or ballooning of the arterial wall. An aneurysm can affect any vessel in the body but only those in the head can cause serious medical condition, a hemorrhagic stroke when they rupture, can lead to brain damage and death. Brain aneurysms are often discovered when they rupture, causing bleeding into the brain or the space closely surrounding the brain called the subarachnoid space, causing subarachnoid hemorrhage.
- Brain aneurysm statistics what you need to know
– Brain aneurysms (aneurysms within arteries in the brain) are a common occurrence. At autopsy, incidental asymptomatic aneurysms are found in more than 1% of people.
– Brain aneurysms are an uncommon disorder of the blood vessel that are usually gained with age and affect only 6% of the US population
– The annual incidence of aneurysm hemorrhage in the US exceeds 30,00 people. 10 -15 percent of these patients will die before reaching the hospital and over 50 percent will die within the first thirty days after rupture.
– The average age at presentation is usually 40 -60 years old
– Those who smoke cigarettes will have a higher risk of acquiring one
– Aneurysms are found more commonly in females than in males
- Symptoms of a brain aneurysm
– Stiff neck or neck pain
– Nausea and vomiting
– Blurred vision and double vision
– Pain above and behind the eye
– Dilated pupils
– Sensibility to light
– Loss of sensation
– Thinking or processing problems
– Speech complications
– Sudden change in behavior
– Loss of balance and coordination
– Decreased concentration
– Fatigue
- How to diagnose a brain aneurysm
If you suspect two or more of the symptoms above I recommend you see a doctor immediately! No one knows your body better than you do, you are better off preventing a problem than waiting for it to happen! My symptoms included numbness, headaches, dizziness and loss of coordination.
Typically one will go undergo a CT scan of the head and a CT angiogram, which shows subarachnoid hermorrhage and the aneurysm. While CT and MRI can show many aneurysms, most patients with aneurysms need a cerebral angiogram for definitive diagnosis and to determine the best treatment.
If you or someone you loved has suffered from a brain aneurysm I want to hear from you! I want to bring as much awareness to this silent killer before it’s too late!
