SEPTEMBER is Brain Aneurysm Awareness month in Maine and nationally. Please join us for the KAT-Walk & Karo-5K for Brain Aneurysm Awareness in September.
What Is A Brain Aneurysm? A brain aneurysm is a weak bulging spot on the wall of a brain artery, very much like a thin balloon or weak spot on an inner tube. Aneurysms form silently from wear and tear on the arteries and sometimes can form from injury, infection, or inherited tendency.
Brain Aneurysm Facts: Brain aneurysms are a silent killer because most show no symptoms over time. It is estimated that up to 1 in 50 people in the U.S. will develop a brain aneurysm during their lifetime. Due to the lack of awareness and research funding, the situation today is grim. Each year over 40,000 people in the U.S. will suffer a ruptured brain aneurysm. Almost half of the victims will die and of those surviving, only a third will recover without disabilities. Brain aneurysms are most prevalent in people ages 35 – 60, but can occur in children as well. Women, more than men, suffer from brain aneurysms at a ratio of 3:2.
Warning Signs/Symptoms:
Unruptured brain aneurysms are typically completely asymptomatic (have no symptoms). These aneurysms are typically small in size, usually less than one half inch in diameter. However, large unruptured aneurysms can occasionally press on the brain or the nerves stemming out of the brain and may result in various neurological symptoms. Any individual experiencing some or all of the following symptoms, regardless of age, should undergo immediate and careful evaluation by a physician: Localized Headache, Dilated pupils, Blurred or double vision, Pain above and behind eye, Weakness and numbness, Difficulty speaking.
RUPTURED brain aneurysms usually result in a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which is defined as bleeding into the subarachnoid space. When blood escapes into the space around the brain, it can cause sudden on-set, severe symptoms.
SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY If You Are Experiencing Some or All Of These Symptoms:
- Severe sudden on-set headache, “THE WORST HEADACHE OF YOUR LIFE”
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Stiff Neck
- Sudden blurred or double vision
- Sudden pain above/behind the eye or difficulty seeing
- Sudden change in mental status/awareness
- Sudden trouble walking or dizziness
- Sudden weakness and numbness
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Seizure
- Drooping eyelid