In April, one of my wife’s cousins was taken from this life after suffering a brain aneurysm. She was a beautiful, graceful and productive woman, mother and grandmother who left us all too soon at the age of fifty. What she thought was an unbelievably splitting headache signaled the end of her life. Since her passing it has been a goal of mine to bring awareness to this often fatal event that so few know so little about.
What Is A Brain Aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm, also referred to as a cerebral aneurysm or intracranial aneurysm (IA), is a weak bulging spot on the wall of a brain artery very much like a thin balloon or weak spot on an inner tube. Over time, the blood flow within the artery pounds against the thinned portion of the wall and aneurysms form silently from wear and tear on the arteries. As the artery wall becomes gradually thinner from the dilation, the blood flow causes the weakened wall to swell outward. This pressure may cause the aneurysm to rupture and allow blood to escape into the space around the brain. A ruptured brain aneurysm commonly requires advanced surgical treatment. (Source)
Warning Signs/Symptoms
Unruptured brain aneurysms are typically completely asymptomatic, meaning you can be a candidate for this event but have no symptoms leading up to it. These aneurysms are typically small in size, usually less than one half inch in diameter. However, large unruptured aneurysms can occasionally press on the brain or the nerves stemming out of the brain and may result in various neurological traumas. Any individual experiencing some or all of the following symptoms, regardless of age, should undergo immediate and careful evaluation by a physician.
- Localized Headache
- Dilated pupils
- Blurred or double vision
- Pain above and behind eye
- Weakness and numbness
- Difficulty speaking
Ruptured brain aneurysms usually result in a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which is defined as bleeding into the subarachnoid space. When blood escapes into the space around the brain, it can cause sudden symptoms.
Seek Medical Attention Immediately If You Are Experiencing Some Or All Of These Symptoms:
- Sudden severe headache, the worst headache of your life
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Stiff Neck
- Sudden blurred or double vision
- Sudden pain above/behind the eye or difficulty seeing
- Sudden change in mental status/awareness
- Sudden trouble walking or dizziness
- Sudden weakness and numbness
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Seizure
- Drooping eyelid (Source)
Don’t think it can happen to you? Check out these Brain Aneursym Statistics and Facts. Believe it or not, kids can have them too.
What Do You Do?
What’s next if any of the above sounds familiar? Go to your doctor immediately. If you don’t have one, then get one. If you currently don’t have insurance and are sitting around waiting, promising yourself you’ll go as soon as a job comes through, you need to throw your pride in the trash right now and head to your local board of health. You can even stop by your local firehouse and ask for a free blood pressure check. They are knowledgeable of the signs for IA onset and are equally able to advise you as to whether you should or should not seek advanced medical attention. A paramedic I know will even put you in the ambulance himself and drive you from the firehouse to the hospital. You have to ask yourself what matters more: avoiding the current agonizing and often insulting experiences that come with seeking health care or safeguarding your life?