Our bodies often send us warning signals to indicate a problem or an imbalance that takes place in the system. If we learn to recognize these signs, we might prevent serious health issues and complications.

However, it is crucial not to ignore the symptoms, nor take them for granted. In many cases, they will not subside on their own, but if you get the right treatment on time, you will win the battle.

Do you know the signs of a brain aneurysm?

Lee Broadway, a young mother from South Carolina, suffered from migraines since her childhood, but the last one was a signal that cost this woman her life. Her pain was so bad that she called her husband Eric, to take her to the hospital.

He said:

“I knew this couldn’t be good because I’ve seen her deal with pain before.”

Two days later, his middle-school sweetheart, and the mother of his four children, died in the hospital, from complications from a brain aneurysm.

Another woman, Donna Poole, was fortunate and managed to survive a brain aneurysm caused by the stroke she suffered three years before.

The pain behind her right eye and ocular migraines she suffered from eventually were diagnosed as signs of a brain aneurysm.

After the surgery that “clipped” the aneurysm done by Michigan Medicine neurosurgeon B. Gregory Thompson, M.D., Poole feels responsible to share her story and raise the awareness for this health problem:

“I speak for those whose lives ended with a ruptured aneurysm. I speak for those who lived but can no longer talk, read, write, walk or see. I speak for caregivers too weary to talk in any language but tears. I speak for you, because yours may be the next voice silenced. Know the risk factors and warning signs of a brain aneurysm.”

According to the American Stroke Association, between 1.5 and 5 percent of people have or develop a brain aneurysm. A brain aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in a brain blood vessel, and it usually causes no symptoms until it suddenly leaks or ruptures.

A rupture leads to extreme and unbearable headaches, and this is a sign that the person should seek medical attention immediately.

Apart from the excruciating headache, these are the signs of a ruptured aneurysm:

• Pain- induced nausea and vomiting
• A stiff neck
• Drooping eyelids
• Loss of consciousness
• Blurred or double vision
• Dizziness and sensitivity to light
• Seizure
• Severe confusion

Moreover, these are the signs of a brain aneurysm that is leaking, but hasn’t yet ruptured:

• Numbness of one side of the face
• Pain above and behind one eye
• An unexplainable change in vision or double vision
• A dilated pupil

The root cause of a brain aneurysm is still unknown, certain blood infections and a head injury can lead to it. Also, it is possible to have a blood vessel defect at birth.

People that suffer from high blood pressure, smokers, and individuals that use cocaine are at an increased risk as well. Brain aneurysms are more common after 40, and women have higher rates of aneurysms than men.

You should always trust your body and read the messages it sends to you. This does not mean that you should rush to the hospital every time you have a headache, but if the pain is too severe, remember to immediately seek medical help.

Sources:
www.everydayhealth.com
healthblog.uofmhealth.org
www.webmd.com
www.wcnc.com