Real Talk

Aneurysm: The Silent and Sudden Killer That Affects Families

Aneurysms have claimed many family members’ lives without so much as a warning.

Unlike other diseases, aneurysms don’t send any warning signals. It usually just claims our family members’ lives by making someone suddenly collapse before going unconscious. Many often loosely interchange “stroke” and “aneurysm” but not everyone is lucky to survive them. Unlike aneurysms, strokes do have survivors but live with life-hindering effects such as left-side paralysis, delayed reactions, and more. Aneurysms, unfortunately, can kill within 24 hours and according to the NHS, is like a vein turning into a bulging balloon that’s ready to pop.

An image that shows aneurysm
Photo Source: University of South Australia

There are seven kinds of aneurysms:

  • Aortic – found in the heart. These are also the most common.
  • Cerebral – Located in the brain. Usually, small ones won’t kill but, they are fatal when large.
  • Thoracoabdominal – found in the upper part of the chest
  • Carotid – Found in the carotid veins in the neck
  • Popliteal – Usually behind the knee
  • Mesenteric artery – Intestines
  • Splenic artery– found often in the spleen

Causes of an Aneurysm

A variety of things can cause aneurysms. High blood pressure, narrowing or weakening of the arteries leading to certain organs failing due to fatty plaque build-up (also known as atherosclerosis), damage to the aorta (one of the major blood vessels from the heart), and even family history can lead to a person being more susceptible to aneurysms. In most cases, many health declarations blame high blood pressure and fatty diets as the main culprits

Unlike strokes, aneurysms usually mean the vessels broke or ruptured. A stroke, on the other hand, can mean something is blocking the blood supply to the brain.

Is there a way to catch it before it hits?

Usually, there is. But many can be quick to dismiss it. It’s usually found in a change of vision such as double vision or blurred. It can also show when you’re suddenly more sensitive to light, nauseous, vomiting, having seizures, and suffering some form of confusion. But the most commonly seen sign is when people drop unconscious. However, that’s usually when it’s already at the border of rupturing.

A man experiencing a headache

Family History Plays a Big Role

Both genetics and even the family’s personality can change the risk of aneurysms. Usually, aneurysms happen in people who have hot tempers. Rage and stress can make anyone’s blood pressure skyrocket. Coupled with the typical rich food found in Filipino cuisine, it can set up a horrible precedent. If it can attack people in their 20s, all the more when we’re older. The best way to reduce the risk is to:

  • Eat a less fatty diet – This means lowering the animal fat content. However, that doesn’t limit us from eating fish, eggs, nuts, and avocado which are rich in Omega-3, a known fat buster.
  • Reduce smoking and drinking.
  • Find a less stressful job.
  • See a therapist – Some cases of hypertension can have underlying psychological causes. No, this doesn’t mean you’re crazy. It means something’s attacking your mind and you want to know what it is.

References:

Brisman, J. L., Song, J. K., & Newell, D. W. (2006). Cerebral aneurysms. New England journal of medicine355(9), 928-939.

Howard, D. P., Banerjee, A., Fairhead, J. F., Handa, A., Silver, L. E., Rothwell, P. M., & Oxford Vascular Study (2015). Age-specific incidence, risk factors and outcome of acute abdominal aortic aneurysms in a defined population. The British journal of surgery102(8), 907–915. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.9838

SIBAYAN, R. Q. (1998). Management of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage in Filipinos. Neurologia medico-chirurgica38(suppl), 124-127.

Takao, H., Murayama, Y., Otsuka, S., Qian, Y., Mohamed, A., Masuda, S., … & Abe, T. (2012). Hemodynamic differences between unruptured and ruptured intracranial aneurysms during observation. Stroke43(5), 1436-1439.

Tamatani, S., Ito, Y., Abe, H., Koike, T., Takeuchi, S., & Tanaka, R. (2002). Evaluation of the stability of aneurysms after embolization using detachable coils: correlation between stability of aneurysms and embolized volume of aneurysms. American Journal of Neuroradiology23(5), 762-767.

More medical readings to keep yourself informed:

Sleeping Enough But Waking Up Tired? This Might Be the Reason.
Did You Know Your Skin Ages Faster When You’re Stressed? Let’s Fix That!
It’s a Shoe-In! How Science Helps Choose the Perfect Shoes

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