Symptoms of a Leaking Brain Aneurysm

Cerebral aneurysms are a serious, potentially fatal condition. Most aneurysms are asymptomatic, which means they do not cause symptoms at all for the sufferer. Those that do cause noticeable problems are the "leaking" aneurysms, which warn of a much larger, more catastrophic rupture in the near future.

Aneurysm Described

• A brain aneurysm is a weakened area in an artery in the brain. This weakened area will bulge or "balloon" out, and it could burst, resulting in a medical emergency. This aneurysm can put pressure on surrounding brain tissue or on a nerve within the brain. Even if the patient is experiencing no symptoms at all, his doctor may order treatment in order to prevent a future, potentially fatal rupture.

Symptoms

• When a cerebral aneurysm begins to "leak" a small amount of blood, the only symptom the patient will experience is the "worst headache of my life." When this headache develops, it is called a "sentinel" headache because it is providing a warning of a pending rupture, which may take place weeks or even days after the sentinel headache developed.

Warning Signs

• If the aneurysm has not been detected during physical exams and it has not yet ruptured, it can cause symptoms if it presses on vital areas within the patient's brain. She can experience other headaches, vision problems, eye pain and dizziness. Other signs can include pain above and behind the eye, paralysis on one side of the face, dilated pupils, weakness and numbness. The patient may also notice she has a drooping eyelid.

Prevention

• It is not possible to keep a cerebral aneurysm from forming. However, once one has been diagnosed, the patient needs to control his blood pressure and keep it within normal limits. This can be done by avoiding stimulating drugs and stopping smoking. Other remedies include eating a healthy diet and instituting an exercise program (under the doctor's supervision), limiting caffeine intake, avoiding physical straining--as in lifting heavy objects, which causes a sudden increase in blood pressure--and a cautious use of aspirin or other drugs, which decreases the ability of blood to clot.

Treatments

• Two options involve surgery. Microvascular decompression is a clipping or cutting off of blood to the aneurysm. A small clip is placed on the neck of the aneurysm, thereby cutting off its blood flow. The second surgical intervention is called "occluding," which means blocking the entire artery that has the aneurysm. This is done when there is damage to that artery and a bypass is performed, surgically grafting another small artery section to the artery.
  Nonsurgical options include endovascular embolization. Balloons or coils are introduced into the aneurysm, thereby filling the aneurysm and cutting off its circulation. Blood clots in the aneurysm, which destroys it.
  Medications to alleviate pain include acetaminophen. Calcium channel blockers can be prescribed to prevent vasospasm (widening and narrowing of blood vessels). If the patient is experiencing seizures, his doctor can prescribe anti-seizure medications.

Unruptured Brain Aneurysm Symptoms

An aneurysm occurs when a weak area of a blood vessel's wall bulges or balloons. Brain aneurysms generally form where arteries fork because those areas are weaker from the start. They may appear anywhere in the brain but most commonly form at the brain's base. As an aneurysm expands, the arterial wall thins. When the wall becomes too thin, the aneurysm can leak or rupture, bleeding into the brain. This is called a hemorrhagic stroke. A ruptured brain aneurysm is life threatening and requires immediate treatment. The majority of brain aneurysms, however, don't rupture or even cause symptoms. These are usually detected by chance while checking for other issues. Unruptured brain aneurysms may or may not be treated, depending on the likelihood of a future rupture.

Causes of Symptoms

• Unruptured brain aneurysms are often asymptomatic, particularly when they are small. Headaches are possible but are often not a direct result of the aneurysm. Large unruptured aneurysms typically cause symptoms based on the pressure they put on surrounding structures, including brain tissue and nerves. According to the Colorado Neurological Institute, only about 40 percent of people with unruptured aneurysms will experience cerebral aneurysm symptoms.

Obvious Physical Signs and Symptoms

• Symptoms of an unruptured brain aneurysm may include a localized headache, centered above and behind an eye. Also common are vision problems, such as double vision, blurred vision, a deficit of peripheral vision and photosensitivity. One of your pupils may become dilated or an eyelid might droop. Additionally, one side of the face may become numb, weak or even paralyzed.

Signs and Symptoms that Are Easy to Overlook

• Some symptoms of an unruptured brain aneurysm can be written off as the results of stress or exhaustion, particularly when they are seemingly not accompanied by any physical effects. These include problems with perception and difficulty concentrating. Short-term memory and the ability to process information often suffer. Fatigue, another possible symptom, may actually make it easier for you to ignore the signs of an unruptured cerebral aneurysm, as it can cause you to assume you're just run down.

Risk Factors and Screening

• Because unruptured aneurysms frequently provide little or no warning, it is important to determine your level of risk. Screening for unruptured brain aneurysms is usually not advisable, but people with certain risk factors may be benefit from screening even if not symptoms have been detected. Any person with a parent or sibling who has had a ruptured brain aneurysm faces an increased chance of having a cerebral aneurysm of their own. Multiple close family members who have had ruptured brain aneurysms make it more likely that screening is right for you. Some congenital disorders increase your risk of brain aneurysm, so they should also be taken into account when you discuss possible screening with your doctor.

Diagnosis and Treatment

• If you have symptoms of an unruptured brain aneurysm you will likely undergo the same tests as someone with symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm. These include imaging tests like an MRI or a CT scan, which can confirm the existence of an aneurysm. At this point, treatment may be called for. The most common treatment for unruptured brain aneurysm is a procedure called "clipping." Your neurosurgeon will put a metal clip over the aneurysm so that no more blood can flow to it, which will prevent it from breaking. Endovascular coiling is performed when small coils are put in the aneurysm to seal it off from blood flow and keep it from bursting. These procedures come with serious risks, though, which must be carefully weighed against potential benefits when deciding whether or not to treat an unruptured cerebral aneurysm.

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Aneurysm and Its Treatment

Aneurysm is the swelling in the walls of blood vessels especially arteries. The swelling and widening of blood vessels causes them to weaken over time and they can rupture. The most commonly observed causes of aneurysm are congenital defects, uncontrolled high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (growing of fatty deposits in arteries). Aneurysm is usually classified by shape, size and location of the bulge. It is most common in arteries at the base of the brain referred as brain or cerebral aneurysm, and in aortic arteries known as abdominal aortic aneurysm. Although aneurysm can occur at any age it is most commonly observed in adults than children. Women are also found slightly more susceptible than men in this regard.
Aortic Aneurysm:
Aorta is the main artery that supplies blood from heart to the rest of the body. Aneurysm can develop anywhere in the aorta but they are most commonly found in aorta with in the abdominal region below the kidneys. The majority of aneurysms which actually start in the abdominal path of aorta eventually extend up to iliac arteries. It may occur in the chest near the heart as well (thoracic aortic aneurysm). The aortic aneurysm usually does not show any symptoms. Mild to moderate symptoms of aneurysm can sometimes be seen though. Pain in the effected area is a common symptom. One of the main causes of aortic aneurysm is smoking. The smokers over 60 years of age seem to have atherosclerosis. It has to be stopped immediately as it increases the risk of aneurysm's widening.
Treatment:
To treat the aortic aneurysm a procedure known as stenting is performed. After locating the position of the bulge, an X-ray guided polyester tube (stent-graft) is passed through a small cut in upper thigh leading to aorta. Now the blood instead of flowing through the damaged artery flow through the stent-graft and eliminates the chance of rupture.
Brain Aneurysm:
Brain Aneurysm usually originates from the base of the brain where the larger arteries combine. This area is known as circle of willis. The causes of brain aneurysm are generally genetic disorders which includes connective tissue disorders, polycystic kidney disease or some circulatory disorder. Patient having brain aneurysm may be found having the symptoms such as excruciating headache, problem with vision, thinking and decrease in concentration level, difficulty in speech and perception, pain in neck or eye and extreme tiredness.
Treatment:
Surgical clipping and coil embolization are methods usually applied for the treatment of brain aneurysm. Patient has to go through some test to get the right diagnosis after which the doctor will determine the method of treatment that is best suited to repair the blood vessel.

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Signs of Aortic Aneurysms

There are many people that are walking around and are unaware that they may fall victim of an aortic aneurysm. There are many types of aneurysms such as brain aneurysms, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and thoracic aortic aneurysm. An aortic aneurysm is from a weakened area in the vessel that is bulging. The aorta is located from the heart down to the middle of the chest and goes down to the abdominal area, and it is the largest supplier of blood to the body. Depending on the rate of growth, such as slow or fast, will predict when surgery should be schedule. This condition can be life-threatening and if you are a medical professional you should consider an ACLS course to increase your medical knowledge for these life threatening conditions. Usually since the symptoms are undetectable, there a few signs to know about:
* A pulsating feeling near the navel area, if the aneurysm is occurring in the abdominal area
* Tenderness or pain in the abdomen or chest
* Back Pain
During physical exams, when the physician is pressing on the abdomen the are feeling for any masses or pulsating sensation. It is extremely important to report any of the symptoms that were mentioned above. If the physician suspects an aneurysm in the abdomen or chest he/she will want to order an ultrasound, or Echo-cardiogram, or CT scan or MRI. These tests do not cause any discomfort. The ACLS course provides detailed information about heart arrhythmia and treating the causes.
If you are aware of Aortic Aneurysms in your family history it is important to know that it is a concern for high risk. The majority of Aortic aneurysms occur in the abdomen. Causes of aortic aneurysms can include tobacco use, high blood pressure that is not controlled, infection in the aorta (vascular), previous injuries to the aorta and traumatic injuries. Another important complication can occur once the aortic aneurysms occur and that is blood clots. When the vessel has been injured from rupturing, the body tries to repair itself and this can result in blood clots forming and are flowing freely in the bloodstream and can travel to the heart, lungs, and brain.
The only treatment for a ruptured aortic aneurysm is emergency surgery. If you have been diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm the goal is to prevent the aneurysm from rupturing. For the abdominal aortic aneurysm if it is small with no symptoms, the physician may keep on check on it and observe it. If it is considered medium, then you and the physician will discuss your options of waiting and observing or proceed with surgery. If it is considered large or growing rapidly surgery is a greater possibility. Recovering from surgery for an aortic aneurysm will take a couple of months and that is if there is no complications from surgery. For example, infections, wound reminiscence, or pneumonia.
Recovering successful will depend upon the patient's desire to follow instructions and putting forth an effort to get back on their feet. It takes team work to get back on the road to recovering successfully. Nurses and Physicians should consider pain as an issue and keep it under control so that the patient is able to breath normal and able to get out of the bed and ambulate. Any concerns always consult the advice of your primary care physician.

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Symptoms Of Brain Aneurysm

In the US, it is estimated that one person out of every fifteen suffers from brain aneurysm. Thus, it can be said that it is a common health problem in the US. In this health condition, the blood vessel widens abnormally and over a period of time it weakens and ruptures. Usually, brain aneurysm occurs at the base of the brain where the large arteries meet. This region of the brain is referred to as the Circle of Willis.
If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be fatal and the person would need medical attention right away. However, it has been seen that usually aneurysms do not grow big and are discovered when the doctor is checking the patient for some other health problem.
There are several serious for brain aneurysm. It can be caused due to genetic problem, chewing tobacco, smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and drinking excessive alcohol.
Usually there are no symptoms associated with brain aneurysm, but some indicators are always present. The symptoms of brain aneurysm that has not ruptured are as follows:
• Excruciating headache
• Problems with peripheral vision
• Problems with the thinking process
• Problems with perception
• Speech difficulty
• Loss of short term memory
• Reduced levels of concentration
• Problems with balance as well as coordination
• Abrupt behavioral changes
• Extreme tiredness
If an aneurysm ruptures, the following symptoms will be present:
• Excruciating headache
• Nausea accompanied with vomiting
• Blurry vision
• Pain in the neck and/or stiffness in the neck
• Light sensitivity
• Pupils get dilated
• Seizures
• Losing sensation
• Experiencing pain behind as well as above the eye
If you are experiencing any of the above mentioned symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention at once. The doctors will perform a series of tests to get the right diagnosis and thereafter, the affect blood vessel will be treated to repair it. The two treatment measures usually adopted are surgical clipping and coil embolization. The doctor will see which treatment method is best suited for you and accordingly use it. If you do not seek treatment for brain aneurysm, it could lead to a stroke or hemorrhage within the brain. Both these can be fatal.

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