Brain Aneurysm Symptoms

Research shows that nearly 1 in 15 people in the United States can develop brain aneurysm at least once in their lifetime. Hence cerebral or brain aneurysm is a common health syndrome that occurs due to an abnormal widening or ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain which has weakened over a time. It mainly develops at the junctions of the large arteries present at the base of the brain, in a region called the Circle of Willis. This outpouchings of blood vessels is known as aneurysms which when gets ruptured, causes bleeding into the brain or the space closely surrounding the brain called the subarachnoid space, leading to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Aneurysms when ruptured can be life-threatening and seek immediate medical attention. However, most aneurysms remain small and never become an issue and usually get detected during tests for other conditions.

Brain Aneurysm Causes
Brain aneurysm is an acquired problem, i.e. it is not present from birth but develops over time. However, some of the probable causes for aneurysm in brain are:

• Neurofibromatosis: Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder of the nervous system that dominantly affects the growth and development of neural or nerve cell tissues which causes tumors to grow on the nerve, eventually leading to brain aneurysm.
• Tobacco Consumption: Chewing tobacco or smoking is another factor that primarily increases the risks of ruptured aneurysm. In fact studies show that non smokers have nearly 10 times more potential to sustain a rupture of a brain aneurysm than a smoker.
• High Blood Pressure: The risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage or rupture of a brain aneurysm is more in people with a history of high blood pressure (hypertension).
• High Cholesterol: Although the effect of high cholesterol remains unclear, some studies show that high cholesterol can also lead to an aneurysm in brain and its rupture.
• Alcohol Abuse: Moderate to high level of alcohol abuse is another factor contributing to the rupture of a brain aneurysm.

Brain Aneurysm Symptoms
Most of the brain aneurysm cases cause no symptoms, however some of the probable cerebral aneurysm symptoms are given below:

Unruptured Brain Aneurysm
Before an aneurysm ruptures, patients usually experience no symptoms, however when the head is pressed on the affected areas of the brain, the patient may experience some or all the following symptoms:

• Severe headaches
• Peripheral vision deficits
• Perceptual problems
• Thinking or processing problems
• Speech complications
• Short-term memory difficulty
• Sudden changes in behavior
• Decreased concentration
• Loss of balance and coordination
• Fatigue

Ruptured Brain Aneurysm
Symptoms of brain aneurysm usually come abruptly and are more severe. Following are some of them:

• Severe headache or migraine
• Nausea and vomiting
• Blurred vision or double vision
• Stiff neck or neck pain
• Sensitivity to light
• Loss of sensation
• Dilated pupils
• Seizures
• Pain above and behind the eye

Brain Aneurysm Diagnosis
Brain aneurysm diagnosis generally includes the following diagnostic tests:

• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan: To detect bleeding in the brain.
• Computed Tomography Angiogram (CTA) scan: To locate the actual site of brain aneurysm.
• Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA): To obtain images or pictures of blood vessels inside the brain.
• Cerebral Angiogram: It is an X-ray test, employed to locate small (less than 5 mm) brain aneurysms.

Brain Aneurysm Treatment
Treatment for ruptured or unruptured brain aneurysm is to repair the affected blood vessels. Coil embolization and surgical clipping are the two main surgeries used to cure brain aneurysm. Coil embolization is a procedure in which a small tube is inserted into the affected artery and placed near the aneurysm. Tiny metal coils are then moved through the tube into the aneurysm, easing pressure on the aneurysm and reducing its probability to rupture. This procedure is less invasive and more effective than surgical clipping. Surgical clipping is another method where a tiny metal clip is placed around the base of the aneurysm to isolate it from normal blood circulation. It also relieves the pressure on the aneurysm and keeps it from rupturing.

Brain aneurysm can be life-threatening if left untreated for long. The main dangers of having an aneurysm is suffering from a stroke or in extreme cases, death, especially if it ruptures and bleeds into the brain. However, its survival rates can increase by immediate hospitalization, an early detection of symptoms and repair. Also potential blood vessel spasm needs to be controlled with medications.