🧠 What Is an Aneurysm?
An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel that is bulging outward because the wall of the blood vessel is weak. An aneurysm can develop anywhere in the body, but one of the most dangerous types is a brain aneurysm or cerebral aneurysm.
When the bulge becomes too large and/or ruptures, it can severely bleed in the brain and be life-threatening, called a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
🔎 According to Mayo Clinic, approximately one in 50 people in the United States has a brain aneurysm. While only a small percentage actually rupture, the results can be fatal or debilitating when they do rupture.
🚨 Common Symptoms of Brain aneurysm
Many brain aneurysms do not produce symptoms until after a rupture; some may provide warning signs which may include:
✅ Before Rupture:
Head pain (often one sided and persistent)
Vision issues (blurred or double vision)
Pupil dilation
Droopy eyelid
Pain or stiffness in neck area
Difficulty with concentration or memory loss
💥 After Rupture:
Sudden severe headache (often called “the worst headache of your life”)
Nausea and vomiting
Seizures
Loss of consciousness
Confused or disoriented
Sensitivity to light
🧠 If an aneurysm ruptures, you must seek emergency care immediately. Delays in treatment can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Causes and Risk Factors
Several risk factors will increase the chance of developing an aneurysm, including:
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Genetics / Family history
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Drug abuse (especially cocaine)
- Age. The incidence of brain aneurysms increases after age 40.
- Gender. Women run a slightly greater risk of having an aneurysm than men.
Diagnosis: How Are Aneurysms Detected
Aneurysms are diagnosed with medical imaging:
- CT Scan. Trending and probably your best bet for spotting bleeding into the brain.
- MRI or MRA. Shows more detailed image of the brain and blood vessels.
- Cerebral Angiography. The doctor feeds a special dye into the blood vessels to map out any bulges/pockets.
Brain aneurysms are usually discovered accidently while the person is being imaged for some other condition.
Treatment options
Depending on their size, location and whether or not they have ruptured, an aneurysm can be treated in the following ways:
1. Monitoring (“Watch and wait”)
If a small unruptured aneurysm is diagnosed, your doctors may decide the best course is to monitor it with a watch and wait approach, changing some lifestyle factors, scanning your head regularly.
2. Surgical clipping
Surgical clipping means a metal clip is placed at the foot of the aneurysms so blood cannot continue to flow into the aneurysm.
3. Endovascular Coiling
Endovascular coiling means a less invasive process, a small catheter feeds coils inside the aneurysm in order to block blood from filling the aneurysm.
Both forms of treatment (surgical and endovascular) try to avoid rupture and improve survival.
Recovery & Lifestyle
After either form of treatment, full recovery will depend on a variety of factors; including how bad was the original aneurysm and the speed at which you got treatment.
✅ Lifestyle habits that decrease risk:
- Quit smoking
- Get blood pressure under control
- Limit on your alcohol consumption
- Manage stress in your life
- Engage in regular physical activity
- Get regular physical check-ups
❓ FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Can you live with aneurysms and not know it?
Yes. Many people live with unruptured brain aneurysms and experience no symptoms at all.
How serious is the head pain from an aneurysm?
It is Serious….especially if it is sudden, intense, and different than any head pain you have experienced previously.
Is there any way to prevent aneurysms?
Most of the time you can’t prevent aneurysms from occurring, but you can seriously reduce your risk of aneurysms by living a healthy lifestyle.
🧩 In conclusion
Head pain can seem so common, but when it is sudden and severe, it is a symptom that should never be ignored. Brain aneurysms can be silent killers, but catching them early means you can get timely treatment to save your life.
🔗 References:
- Mayo Clinic – Brain aneurysm
- WebMD – Brain Aneurysms
- Healthline – Aneurysm Overview
