We’re talking about the brain here, people. Some people use aneurysm and stroke interchangeably. An aneurysm can lead to a stroke, but a stroke won’t lead to an aneurysm. Let me inject some sense to this confusion.
An aneurysm is a weakness in the wall of a blood vessel. The weakness leads to ballooning or bulging, which can eventually lead to a rupture. When it ruptures, the aneurysm ejects blood from the artery and damages whatever brain lobes are near. Most times, a person is asymptomatic until the vessel bursts and people have the worst headache of their life.
Strokes, on the other hand, are definite emergencies that happen when the flow of blood is blocked. With a thrombotic stroke, a blood clot forms inside an artery, like a clogged pipe, and blocks the blood from getting to a portion of the brain. Another type of stroke, an ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that spasms and fully or partially closes down.Â
Strokes and brain aneurysms have some risk factors in common, such as:
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Smoking
- Family history
- Structural abnormalities, such as damaged heart valves (stroke) or blood vessels that are formed irregularly (aneurysm)
When you are having a stroke, you may have symptoms such as:
- Your face drooping on one side
- Weakness in the arm or leg on one side
- Trouble speaking
- Difficulty walking
An aneurysm often resembles a berry hanging on a stem. Experts think brain aneurysms form and grow because blood flowing through the blood vessel puts pressure on a weak area of the vessel wall. If the brain aneurysm leaks or ruptures, it causes bleeding in the brain, known as a hemorrhagic stroke [as in leaky or ruptured aneurysm = hemorrhagic stroke].
Brain aneurysms are common. But most brain aneurysms aren’t serious, especially if they’re small. Most brain aneurysms don’t rupture and don’t cause symptoms or cause health problems. In many cases, brain aneurysms are found during tests for other conditions like heart CTs.
However, a ruptured aneurysm quickly becomes life-threatening and requires medical treatment right away.
If a brain aneurysm hasn’t ruptured, treatment may be appropriate in some cases. Treatment of an unruptured brain aneurysm may prevent a rupture in the future. But sad to say, keeping a unruptured aneurysm that way? The jury is still out.
There are three types of aneurysms:
- Saccular aneurysm, also known as a berry aneurysm. A berry aneurysm is the most common type of aneurysm it looks like a berry hanging from a vine. It’s a round, blood-filled sac that goes from the main artery or one of its branches. It usually forms on arteries at the base of the brain.Â
- Fusiform aneurysm. This type of aneurysm causes bulging on all sides of the artery.
- Mycotic aneurysm. This type of aneurysm is caused by an infection. When an infection affects the arteries in the brain, it can weaken the artery wall. This can cause an aneurysm to form.
Most brain aneurysms that haven’t ruptured don’t cause symptoms. This is especially true if they’re small. But a ruptured aneurysm is a very serious condition, typically causing a severe headache. And if an unruptured aneurysm presses against brain tissue or nerves, it may cause pain and other symptoms.
In addition to a severe headache, symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm can include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stiff neck
- Blurred or double vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Seizure
- A drooping eyelid
- Loss of consciousness
- Confusion
In some cases, an aneurysm may leak a slight amount of blood. When this happens, a more severe rupture often follows. Leaks may happen days or weeks before a rupture.
Leaking brain aneurysm symptoms may include a sudden, extremely severe headache that may last several days and up to two weeks whereas an unruptured brain aneurysm may not have any symptoms, especially if it’s small. However, a larger unruptured aneurysm may press on brain tissues and nerves.
Symptoms of an unruptured brain aneurysm may include:
- A change in vision or double vision
- Pain above and behind one eye
- A dilated pupil
- Numbness of one side of the face
You can have a brain aneurysm and not know it, and it may never cause any problems for you. The majority of brain aneurysms never rupture, cause any symptoms or even impact your health. No treatment may be needed for an unruptured aneurysm with a watch-and-wait plan of action.
Do you want to know if the aneurysm is unruptured? I would. Science doesn’t stand still. It moves forward and doesn’t cease until it finds a solution. Unruptured aneurysms aren’t at the top of the list, but researchers will find a solution how to keep them that way. Maybe not tomorrow but eventually. No doubt, I say.
