A brain aneurysm is a life-threatening condition that can affect a person regardless of age. The condition is caused by the rupture or bursting of a blood vessel in the brain. An aneurysm is a critical situation that requires immediate attention, as it can lead to severe consequences, such as brain injury, stroke, and even fatality, if left untreated. This article discusses the symptoms of brain aneurysms, their causes, and treatment methods.
Symptoms
Typically, a brain aneurysm does not cause many symptoms, particularly if they are small. That said, when the ruptured aneurysm presses against the brain nerves or tissues, it may cause pain and other signs. Read on to know about the symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm, leaking aneurysm, and an unruptured brain aneurysm.
Ruptured aneurysm
One of the significant signs of a ruptured aneurysm is a sudden, sharp, and severe headache. It is typically described as the worst headache one has ever experienced. Beyond headaches, the ruptured aneurysm might also lead to other symptoms like a stiff neck, vomiting, nausea, seizure, light sensitivity, double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
Leaking aneurysm
At times, an aneurysm might leak blood, followed by a severe rupture. In most cases, the leaks occur weeks or days before the rupture. A leaking brain aneurysm causes signs like an extreme, sudden, and severe headache that lasts several days and up to two weeks.
Unruptured aneurysm
An unruptured brain aneurysm does not produce any symptoms if it is small. But a larger unruptured aneurysm might press onto the brain nerves and tissues and cause symptoms like numbness of one side of the face, double vision, change in vision, pain behind or above one eye, and a dilated pupil.
Causes
Typically, brain aneurysms happen because of structural changes in the artery walls of the brain, causing weaker and thinner artery walls. Trauma or inflammation may also lead to the deformity sans thinning. It is still unclear of what exactly causes brain aneurysms to develop but one or the combination of a few below-listed factors may play a role:
Tissue changes in the artery because of an increase in inflammation
Stress from blood flow via the artery
Elastic tissue breakdown within the artery
Usually, brain aneurysms occur when an artery branches in different directions. This is because arteries are typically weaker at these locations. In some people, aneurysms may be there from birth, but they usually develop over the course of a lifetime. Some risk factors that aggravate your risk of developing a brain aneurysm are:
Age
Most individuals with brain aneurysms are people over 40.
Sex
Women are more likely to get the condition than men.
Family history
Your risk of the condition is higher if a history of brain aneurysms runs in your family.
Unmonitored high blood pressure or hypertension
These conditions add pressure to the artery walls and increase the risk of a brain aneurysm.
Head injury
A head injury may damage the blood vessels in the brain, leading to aneurysm formation.
Genetic conditions
Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease damage or impact the artery structure, increasing the risk of an aneurysm
Infections and congenital conditions
Certain infections may also damage the artery walls, increasing a person’s chances of developing the condition. Plus, congenital conditions like coarctation or arteriovenous malformations can also add to the risk.
Treatment
For ruptured brain aneurysm
The treatment primarily involves curtailing the blood flow into the aneurysm. The procedure carries multiple risks. Your doctor will devise the best treatment plan based on the aneurysm’s location, type, size, and health.
Surgical clipping
A section of the skull is removed to find the aneurysm. The doctor places the metal clip on the aneurysm opening to cease the blood flow and seals the skull.
Endovascular coiling
The procedure does not need surgery to open the skull. The healthcare specialist will insert a catheter into the groin to reach the affected blood vessel. They will send tiny platinum coils via a tube and insert them into the aneurysm. These coils take the aneurysm’s shape and cease the blood flow. It is naturally safer than surgical clipping, but the risk of the aneurysm bleeding again is high.
Flow diverter surgery
When the brain aneurysm is large and coiling or clipping would not work, the doctor will opt for this method. Here, the doctor will insert a stent made from metal mesh inside the artery. It forms a wall inside the vessel and diverts the blood from the aneurysm.
For symptom management, the doctor may prescribe the following treatments:
Pain-relievers
Calcium channel blockers prevent blood vessels from narrowing
Measures to avoid a stroke – angioplasty or options to widen the blood vessels
Shunt surgery
Lumbar draining catheters for lowering pressure on the brain
Anti-seizure prescription options
Rehabilitative therapy to relearn things you lost from the damage to the brain.
