Aneurysms are small, bulging areas on the wall of a blood vessel. They can occur anywhere in your body, but most often affect the arteries that supply blood to the brain.
Are You At Risk Of Having An Aneurysm?
• You are at risk if you have a family history of aneurysms.
• You are at risk if you smoke, drink excessively, or use illegal drugs.
• You are at risk if you are obese or have high blood pressure (hypertension).
The most important thing to remember is that aneurysms can be treated before they become dangerous, so it’s important to see a doctor right away if you think something might be wrong with your brain.
Is It A Life-Threatening Condition?
An aneurysm is not a life-threatening condition by itself. It’s the rupture of an aneurysm that can lead to death or stroke. If you experience any symptoms of aneurysms, you should see your doctor right away so they can perform surgery on it before it ruptures, says Dr Bruce Grossinger.
A ruptured aneurysm causes bleeding inside your brain, which causes pressure in your head and makes you feel dizzy or weak on one side of your body. A ruptured aneurysm also increases the risk of having another stroke–a condition where blood flows into areas where it shouldn’t be located–or dying because there’s too much bleeding inside the skull cavity (also known as intracranial hemorrhage).
How Are Aneurysms Treated Or Prevented?
Treatment for aneurysms depends on their size, location, and cause. If a small aneurysm doesn’t cause symptoms and is at low risk of rupturing, your doctor may recommend monitoring the condition with imaging tests rather than treating it right away.
If you have an un-ruptured brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation) or another type of berry aneurysm, surgery may be recommended to prevent bleeding that could lead to death or permanent disability if left untreated. Dr Bruce Grossinger Surgery can also help prevent further growth in some cases by sealing off connections between arteries and veins around the brainstem or spinal cord.
In addition to surgery for treatment of ruptured berry-type aneurysms in adults, medications such as beta-blockers may be prescribed after surgery because these drugs lower blood pressure by slowing down heart rate — which reduces stress on weakened blood vessels from having been cut open during treatment.