An aneurysm is an unusual dilation of a blood vessel.
An aneurysm is an unusual dilation that occurs in a blood vessel as a result of degeneration or weakening of the vascular structure . Most commonly, aneurysms are arterial in nature that arise at the base of the brain or in the aorta .
Despite the existing scientific and medical advances and the studies carried out, it has not yet been possible to determine the exact causes that lead a person to suffer an aneurysm. However, two of the common reasons include the genetic structure itself, since many of them are congenital , discovered at birth, or various defects in the arterial walls.
And that is without forgetting that there are a series of factors that considerably increase the chances of a man or woman suffering from this pathology. Specifically, we have to refer to tobacco consumption, having high cholesterol levels or also suffering from hypertension.
Detection and treatment of aneurysms
It must be taken into account that, in any case, aneurysms can occur anywhere in the body where there is an artery . Aneurysms generally cause no symptoms unless they rupture and cause bleeding. CT scans and MRIs help detect them.
Likewise, it must be emphasized that there is another series of tests that, alone or as a complement to those previously mentioned, are used by medical professionals to proceed with the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of the aneurysm. Specifically, among those would be spinal tap, also known as CSF examination, or cerebral angiography .
Headache is a possible symptom of an aneurysm.
Most common symptoms
In the event that symptoms occur due to the compression of certain areas of the body, it is possible that the affected person suffers from headaches or neck pain , partially or totally loses vision, suffers from lethargy, feels tired, and has decreased sensitivity. and mobility and experience speech problems.
However, another series of symptoms can also occur such as nausea or vomiting, an epileptic seizure, irritability, confusion, drooping eyelid, pain in the eyes and also in the nail cuticles.
Types of aneurysm
A brain aneurysm can also be detected from an eye exam, since increased intracranial pressure generates inflammation in the optic nerve and can cause bleeding in the retina.
To treat a brain aneurysm, your doctor may decide to use microsurgery (to contain it and prevent it from rupturing again) or endovascular therapy .
Among the different types of aneurysms, we can mention the so-called true aneurysms (which involve all the units that make up the walls of the arteries and against which the blood flow is maintained inside the circulatory structure), aneurysms false (characterized by being extravascular hematomas, with rupture of the vascular wall), dissecting aneurysms ( blood enters the wall of the artery and dissects its layers), traumatic aneurysms (occur as a result of a physical injury to the wall vascular) and mycotic aneurysms (generated by the growth of microorganisms in the vessel wall).
Finally, it should be emphasized that sometimes when treating an aneurysm, complications such as infection, profuse bleeding or nerve compression occur.