About one in 50 people in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm, but how do you know if you have one?
Dr. Paul Mazaris, a neurosurgeon from Spectrum Health, says brain aneurysms are caused by a swelling in a blood vessel in the brain.
A brain aneurysm can rupture, causing bleeding into the brain, and can quickly become life-threatening. Most brain aneurysms don't rupture, but if they do, they require quick medical treatment.
Symptoms to look out for if you have an unruptured brain aneurysm are:
- Localized Headache
- Dilated pupils
- Blurred or double vision
- Pain above and behind eye
- Weakness and numbness
- Difficulty speaking
Dr. Mazaris says there are multiple signs to watch out for a ruptured aneurysm:
- Sudden severe 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
If you experience any of the symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm, call 911 immediately.
Spectrum Health's Center for Neurosciences specializes in treatment for brain aneurysms. If a doctor detects an unruptured aneurysm, there are two options a patient can take: treatment or observation. The goal of either treatment is to prevent anymore bleeding by sealing off the aneurysm with a clip or coil.
For more information about neurovascular treatment at Spectrum Health, call (616) 267-7900.
