Brain aneurysms can occur in anyone and at any age. They are most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 and are more common in women than in men.
Brain aneurysms are most prevalent in people ages 35 to 60, but can occur in children as well. Most aneurysms develop after the age of 40. Women, particularly those over the age of 55, have a higher risk of brain aneurysm rupture than men (about 1.5 times the risk).
Up to 6% of people living in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm. While still rare, they do happen to up to 30,000 Americans each year. Brain aneurysms occur in both males and females and at any age, but brain aneurysms are most common in female adults between ages 40 and 60.
Researchers think high blood pressure is the most common cause of a rupture. Higher blood pressure makes blood push harder against blood vessel walls. Situations that can increase blood pressure and lead to a brain aneurysm rupture include: Ongoing stress or a sudden burst of anger or other strong emotion.
Some of the causes of aneurysms include: a weakness in the blood vessel wall that is present from birth (congenital aneurysm) high blood pressure (hypertension) over many years resulting in damage and weakening of blood vessels. fatty plaques (atherosclerosis) resulting in a weakness of the blood vessel wall.
People can live with them for years before detection.
“A brain aneurysm is essentially the neurological equivalent to a sudden heart attack,” said Ricardo Hanel, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon and co-director of the Baptist Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center. “It can happen to anyone, even young and healthy people. Someone can seem perfectly fine up until that singular moment.”
Sleep deprivation can weaken your immune system. Now, a new clinical study suggests that insomnia may be a potential risk factor for a brain bleed from a ruptured aneurysm. “Ruptured aneurysms are highly fatal.
You can't always prevent brain aneurysms, but you can lower your risk by not smoking and by reducing high blood pressure.
Overall, 39 % of patients died within 10 postoperative years (mean 6.0 ± 2.8 years). Long-term survival of patients with a ruptured or symptomatic aneurysm was similar to that of patients undergoing elective aneurysm repair.
Ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about 50% of cases. Of those who survive, about 66% suffer some permanent neurological deficit. Approximately 15% of people with a ruptured aneurysm die before reaching the hospital.
Can people live a long time with a brain aneurysm? Absolutely. Many aneurysms cause no symptoms at all. Some people live for years without knowing they have a brain aneurysm.
Magnetic resonance angiography (an MRI scan) is usually used to look for aneurysms in the brain that haven't ruptured. This type of scan uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of your brain.
Screening recommendations vary, but in general: Men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked cigarettes should have a one-time screening using abdominal ultrasound. For men ages 65 to 75 who have never smoked, the need for an abdominal ultrasound is based on other risk factors, such as a family history of aneurysm.
High blood pressure is the leading cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Heavy lifting or straining can cause pressure to rise in the brain and may lead to an aneurysm rupture. Strong emotions, such as being upset or angry, can raise blood pressure and can subsequently cause aneurysms to rupture.
The most common symptom of a leaking aneurysm is a sudden and severe headache. Brain aneurysm symptoms indicative of a ruptured aneurysm include many that are similar to stroke symptoms: Sudden, severe headache. Nausea and vomiting.
Medical studies show the risk of a brain aneurysm rupturing is quite low. In some cases, this risk can be less than half a percent per year and most brain aneurysms fall into this low-risk category. In these cases, neurosurgeons do not recommend treatment given the low risk to the patient.
Other Activities That Can Worsen These Aneurysms
You might also be told to avoid doing any heavy lifting. Smoking is another activity to avoid when you have an aortic aneurysm. You should also work on managing stress and keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol at healthy levels.
Aneurysms develop over a lifetime,” he says. “Another is that an aneurysm can disappear or heal itself. This is very rare and only happens in aneurysms that are considered benign because the flow of blood is so slow it eventually forms a clot and seals off the bulge.”
Most people with brain aneurysms do not have close family members with this condition. But a landmark study found that 1 in 5 people with a brain aneurysm has a family history of them.