What Happens if I Have an Aneurysm?

When most hear the term aneurysm, they usually think of a life-threatening condition that happens in an instance and causes lots of pain. What people don’t realize, however, is that many aneurysms exist in our bodies without showing any symptoms or causing any issues. Aneurysms only cause pain when they grow larger over time and rupture, and the complications from this occurring can turn into a serious medical emergency.

Many patients discover that they have aneurysms during routine doctor checkups. The severity of the aneurysm is more dangerous depending on its location– if it’s in your leg, it’s less likely to cause life-threatening problems. If it’s in your brain, this can lead to much more serious problems like strokes or internal bleeding.

We’ll discuss everything you need to know about what happens if you have an aneurysm and what you can do to keep yourself safe.

Am I at Risk?

Like many medical conditions, there isn’t one exact clear answer to what causes aneurysms to form in our bodies. If one develops, that means there is a bulge in the wall of an artery somewhere. This occurs when the pressure of blood passing through forces a weakened part of your artery to balloon outward. They can happen in any blood vessel but are most common in the arteries in your belly, chest, or the ones that feed your brain.

Because aneurysms can go undetected before they rupture, it can be hard to tell if you have them or not. The best thing you can do to reduce your chances of developing one is to avoid tobacco and keep your blood pressure lowered.

What Are the symptoms?

Aneurysms don’t have any noticeable symptoms, but they become much more serious and difficult to ignore when they rupture. Signs to look out for if think you are dealing with a ruptured aneurysm are sudden loss of consciousness, having a seizure, nausea, vomiting, and a very extreme headache that comes on quickly.

You can prevent an aneurysm from rupturing by getting regular medical checkups. The doctors at the Minimally Invasive Vascular Center offer lots of treatment options catered to your specific needs, including repair surgeries. Schedule a consultation with our team at the Minimally Invasive Vascular Center in Laurel, MD by calling 855-803-MIVC.