Daniella Johnson

Aneurysm

WHAT IS AN ANEURYSM?

Aneurysm is a dangerous disease, which usually occurs in the brain, legs and abdomen. Very little is known about this disease globally , due to which thousands of people fall prey to this disease every year.

Aneurysm can develop without any symptoms.Let us check how aneurysm can be dangerous for your health.

An aneurysm is a bulge or swelling in the wall of an artery in the body. It often resembles a berry hanging on a stem.

An aneurysm may leak or rupture, causing bleeding in the brain. A ruptured aneurysm often occurs in the middle of the body part and between the thin tissue covering the organs like heart and brain. This may lead to hemorrhagic stroke

Most aneurysms cause many health problems even if they do not rupture. Symptoms of aneurysm do not appear until they become very large.

What is an Aneurysm?

GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF ANEURYSM

The symptoms of this disease are very difficult to detect, its symptoms are not visible externally quickly.

  • Sudden bleeding from any part of the body
  • Increased heartbeat,
  • Sharp pain in the nerves
  • Dizziness and giddiness
  • Drooping eyelids
  • Double vision or other changes in vision
  • Pain above or below the eye,

SYMPTOMS OF RUPTURED ANEURYSM

Sudden, severe headache is the main symptom of a ruptured aneurysm. This headache can often be called the “worst headache ever”.

Its common symptoms include:

  • Sudden, severe headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Stiff neck
  • Blurred or double vision
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Fainting
  • Confusion
  • Leaking aneurysm

In some cases, a small amount of blood may leak from the aneurysm.

SYMPTOMS OF UNRUPTURED ANEURYSM

Undiagnosed aneurysms have no symptoms, especially if they are small. However, large uncontrolled aneurysms can put pressure on organs, tissue, and nerves. Because of which:

  • There may be pain above and behind one eye
  • dilated pupils
  • change in vision or double vision
  • dryness on one side of the face

If you are with someone who has a sudden, severe headache or a seizure because of an aneurysm, it calls for special attention

The development of aneurysms is due to the thinning of the artery walls. Aneurysms often form at branches in arteries because these parts of the blood vessels are weak.

Although aneurysms can appear anywhere in the heart or brain, they can occur most commonly in the arteries at the base of the brain.

CAUSES OF ANEURYSM

The exact causes of this disease are not yet known, but there are some factors that increase the risk of this disease, such as –

  • Due to the deterioration of arterial tissue, the walls of the arteries can become weak, which can be the cause of an aneurysm.
  • Veins can also burst due to a blood clot.
  • High blood pressure also puts pressure on the veins, which can lead to an aneurysm.
  • A strong family history.
  • Those suffering from polycystic kidney disease may also be at risk of developing an aneurysm.

COMMON CAUSES OF ANEURYSMS

The following are the most common causes of cerebral aneurysms:

There can be many reasons for an aneurysm. Among these, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, heredity, and abnormal blood flow can be the biggest causes. Aneurysms are a rare problem.

  • Smoking,
  • High blood pressure
  • Traumatic brain injury

HOW SERIOUS IS AN ANEURYSM?

  • This is a very serious disease, because when the arteries become inflamed, then there is not only severe pain, but sometimes the artery may burst and blood starts leaking out of the artery.
  • Apart from this, the nerves around the artery in which there is inflammation, also get affected by it.
  • This disease is serious because the symptoms of this disease are detected in the last stage.

WHO IS AT RISK OF ANEURYSM?

  • People aged 35 to 40 are more at risk of this, but children can also get this disease.
  • Certain habits also increase the risk of this disease, such as consumption of foods high in fat and cholesterol, a history of heart disease in the family, smoking, obesity, and sometimes pregnancy can also increase the risk of an aneurysm.
  • An aneurysm most commonly affects people between the ages of 35 and 60, but in some cases, it can also be seen in children. Most aneurysms that develop after the age of 40 are small. It can range from about 1/8 inch to about an inch that does not break 50-80%.

There are several conditions that can increase the risk of aneurysms:

  • family history
  • aneurysm problem in the past
  • high blood pressure problem
  • cigarette smoking

HOW IS AN ANEURYSM DIAGNOSED?

An unruptured brain aneurysm has no visible symptoms, which can delay diagnosis in many people.

If your doctor thinks you have an aneurysm you may have the following tests:

  • Computed tomography (CT) scan: CT scan identifies internal bleeding in the part of the body.If you have a ruptured aneurysm with hemorrhage, sometimes a lumbar puncture may be used.
  • Computed tomography angiogram (CTA) scan: The results of a CTA are more accurate than a CT scan.
  • Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA): This is similar to a CTA. MRA shows pictures of blood vessels inside the body on a computer.
  • Cerebral angiogram: During this X-ray test, a catheter is inserted through a vein in the groin or arm and then up through a vein in the brain where a dye is injected into an artery.

How is a brain aneurysm treated?

Before treating an aneurysm, your doctor will examine all of its symptoms and assess the most likely method of diagnosing it. The treatment will depend on your age, disease status, and your health status.

If its size is less than 10 mm, then its condition is not very serious. In such a situation, the risk of its breakdown is also negligible. For this, your doctor can consider ways to control your high blood pressure. If your aneurysm is large or it is painful, your doctor may recommend surgery.

TREATMENT FOR ANEURYSM

A disease like an aneurysm can be reduced by making changes in your lifestyle.

For this keep the following things in mind-

  • Eat a diet rich in protein and fiber.
  • Cut down on fast foods, junk foods, and ghee-oiled foods as they contain unsaturated fats.
  • Eat foods high in saturated fat such as meat, eggs, fish, etc.
  • Exercise regularly every morning, especially cardio exercises.
  • Avoid smoking and using tobacco.
  • Do not use birth control pills.
  • Do not let the weight gain too much.
  • Keep blood pressure normal

There are two main treatment options for this disease. Treatment of ruptured and uninjured cerebral aneurysms is done using the following procedures

Surgical Clipping

Clipping surgery is done to treat the aneurysm. A neurosurgeon surgically places a small clip across the neck of the aneurysm to stop the bleeding. In this surgery, a small metal clip is placed around the base of the aneurysm to sever normal blood flow. This reduces pressure on the aneurysm and prevents it from rupturing.

Endovascular coiling

It is a less invasive procedure than surgical clipping. The neurosurgeon inserts a hollow plastic tube (catheter) into an artery, usually in your groin, and carries it through your body to the aneurysm.

The surgeon uses a guide wire to push a soft platinum wire through the catheter and into the aneurysm. The wire coils inside the aneurysm and obstructs blood flow.

During this procedure, a small tube is inserted into the affected artery. For coil embolization, a soft metal coil is passed through a tube into the aneurysm. In mesh embolization, it is placed in the aneurysm, which reduces blood flow to the aneurysm and makes it less likely to rupture. These procedures may be less risky than surgery.

If you have any questions about any of the possible symptoms, please talk to your doctor.

If you suddenly feel unbearable pain near your eyes, a severe headache and double vision, you may be having an aneurysm. Call (469) 545-9983 to book an appointment with our specialists.

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