Introduction

An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall, usually where it branches.

 

As blood passes through the weakened blood vessel, the blood pressure causes a small areato bulge outwards like a balloon.

Aneurysms candevelop in any blood vessel in the body, but the two most common places are:

  • the abdominal aorta the artery that transports blood away from the heart to the rest of the body
  • the brain

This topicis about brain aneurysms. There's aseparate topic about Aneurysm, abdominal aortic .

Aboutbrain aneurysms

The medical term for an aneurysm that develops inside the brain is an intracranial or cerebral aneurysm.

Most brain aneurysms only cause noticeable symptoms if they burst (rupture).

This leads toan extremely serious condition known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage , where bleeding caused by the ruptured aneurysm can cause extensive brain damage and symptoms such as:

  • a sudden agonising headache it's been described as a "thunderclap headache", similar to a sudden hit on the head, resulting in a blinding pain unlike anything experienced before
  • stiff neck
  • sickness and vomiting
  • pain on looking at light

About three in five people who have a subarachnoid haemorrhage die within two weeks. Half of those who survive are left with severe brain damage and disability.

If you suspect someone has had a brain haemorrhage, which could be caused by a ruptured aneurysm, call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance.

How brain aneurysms are treated

If a brain aneurysm is detected before it ruptures, treatment may be recommended to prevent it rupturing in future. Most aneurysms won't rupture, so treatment is only carried out if the risk of a rupture is particularly high.

Factors that affect whether treatment is recommended include your age, the size and position of the aneurysm, your family medical history, and any other health conditions you have.

If treatment is recommended, this usually involves either filling the aneurysm with tiny metal coils or an open operation to seal it shut with a tiny metal clip.

If your risk of a rupture is low, you'll have regular check-ups to monitor your aneurysm. You may also be given medication to reduce your blood pressure and advice about ways you can reduce your chances of a rupture, such as stopping smoking if you smoke.

The same techniques used to prevent ruptures are also used to treat brain aneurysms that have already ruptured.

Some experts believe it could be as high as1 in 20 people, while others think the figure is much lower at around1 in 100 people.

Thenumber of aneurysms that actually rupture is much smaller. Only around1 in 12,500 people have a ruptured brain aneurysmin England each year.

Brain aneurysms can develop in anyone at any age, but are more common in people over the age of 40. Women tend to be affected more commonly than men.

Preventing brain aneurysms

The best way to prevent getting an aneurysm, or reduce the risk of an aneurysm growing bigger and possibly rupturing, is to avoid activities that could damage your blood vessels, such as:

  • smoking
  • eating a high-fat diet
  • not controlling high blood pressure
  • being overweight or obese

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Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 30 Nov 2016