A brain aneurysm is a dangerous condition that can be fatal if left untreated. These disorders occur when arteries in the brain begin bulging with blood. According to BrainAneurysm.com, one out of every 15 people in the United States will suffer from one of these swollen brain arteries. Most are detected once they rupture, when the condition requires immediate medical attention.
Signs of Brain Aneurysm
The first symptom of a brain aneurysm is a severe and sudden headache. Most people do not know they have a brain aneurysm until it ruptures, causing the severe headaches.
The Headache Symptoms
If you experience a headache that is different from your usual pattern of migraine or tension headaches, it might be an aneurysm. The worst headache of your life might be a sign of a stroke. Days or even weeks before the rupture, a person could suffer a severe headache as a warning. This headache is sometimes referred to as prodromal because it comes before the more intense symptoms of an aneurysm.
Other Symptoms
Other symptoms of a brain aneurysm are nausea, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and vomiting. These symptoms might be followed by modifications in the mental state, from confusion to coma. About 25 percent of people suffering from a brain aneurysm experience seizures. Other people might feel pain behind or above an eye, have a dilated pupil in one eye and experience vision problems. People suffering a brain aneurysm might not be able to move their eyes in all directions. They also might feel pain in the back of their skull, neck or in the temple.
The Unruptured Cerebral Aneurysm Symptoms
In about 40 percent of cases, before an aneurysm ruptures, patients often deal with one or more of the following symptoms: sudden changes in behavior, fatigue, short-term memory problems, decreased concentration, loss of balance or coordination, perceptual problems, speech complications, peripheral vision deficits and thinking or processing problems. These symptoms also are associated with some other medical conditions. Neuroradiology is used to diagnose a brain aneurysm.
Diagnosing the Brain Aneurysm
A brain aneurysm is usually diagnosed by identifying signs of a subarachnoid hemorrhage on a Computerized Tomography. This is a test that quickly X-rays the entire body in cross-sections while the patient stays in a large circular machine. A brain aneurysm still might be suspected even if the Computerizing Tomography is negative. In this case, a lumbar puncture is executed to detect blood in fluid surrounding the spinal cord and brain. Cerebral angiography or tomography angiography is used in order to determine the size, shape or precise location of the aneurysm.
The Computed Tomographic Angiography
The Computed Tomographic Angiography can be executed without an arterial catheterization. The Computed Tomography Angiography combines a normal CT scan with a contrast dye that is injected into a vein. The dye travels to the brain arteries, and computer-generated images of a patient's brain will show precisely how the blood is flowing through the brain arteries.
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