A brain aneurysm happens when part of an artery becomes weakened, and starts to balloon out. An aneurysm can, however, rupture or pop, which can quickly make it a life-threatening condition. This is why knowing the early symptoms of a brain aneurysm is important since the sooner a person with an aneurysm can get treatment, the better the outcome is.

How to Prevent an Aneurysm

Here are the 10 signs of a brain aneurysm that you should know:

Early Symptoms of Brain Aneurysm

Sudden, severe headache

Headaches are one of the early symptoms of a brain aneurysm. Usually, when an aneurysm ruptures, the bleeding increases the pressure inside the brain. This causes intense and severe headaches as a result.

More often than not, people describe it as the worst headache that they have ever experienced.

Nausea and vomiting

Another one of the early symptoms of a brain aneurysm is nausea and vomiting. This is also caused by the pressure inside the brain that is caused when an aneurysm pops or ruptures.

It is also possible for an aneurysm to cause this symptom if the aneurysm is pressing directly on a part of the brain. As the aneurysm grows larger, it pushes against the brain, and can cause nausea and vomiting.

Blurred or double vision

Blurred or double vision could also be another one of the early symptoms of brain aneurysm. This could be a possible symptom if the ruptured aneurysm is located near the part of the brain that is responsible for sight.

If you experience a sudden loss of vision, or if your vision starts to blur suddenly without any warning, it would be a good idea to go to the doctor immediately.

Dizziness

Since a brain aneurysm directly affects the brain, dizziness is another common symptom that people experience. If an aneurysm has ruptured, dizziness can usually appear along with nausea and vomiting.

Clammy or sweaty skin

If you experience any of the symptoms above, along with clammy or sweaty skin, then it would be important to get to a doctor immediately since it could probably mean that you have suffered a ruptured aneurysm.

Pain behind one eye

This is another one of the possible early symptoms of brain aneurysm, in particular an unruptured aneurysm.

A slowly expanding aneurysm could press on brain tissues and nerves, causing pain behind one eye.

Numbness on one side of the face

One serious symptom of a brain aneurysm is numbness on one side of the face. More often than not, this is a sign that an aneurysm has ruptured and is causing damage to the brain.

Typically, numbness on the left side of the face means that the aneurysm is on the left part of the brain, and numbness on the right side of the face means that the aneurysm is on the right part of the brain.

Usually, if the face is affected, the aneurysm occurs on the same side of the brain. The opposite happens if it were on the arms and legs.

Confusion

Confusion is another one of the early symptoms of brain aneurysm. This is also caused by the added pressure of a ruptured aneurysm, or because of the expansion caused by an unruptured aneurysm.

Seizure

Another serious symptom of an aneurysm is a seizure. This could either mean that an unruptured aneurysm is pressing on one part of the brain, or it has ruptured and the added pressure inside the brain is causing the person to have a seizure.

Loss of consciousness

One of the most dangerous symptoms of an aneurysm is loss of consciousness. It is dangerous since losing consciousness means that there is no way for the person to seek medical attention or ask for help.

This is why it is important to go to the emergency room immediately if you feel a severe headache, or if you think that something is wrong.

How can you lower your risk of a brain aneurysm?

Here is a rundown of what you can do in order to lower your risk of a brain aneurysm:

• Eat healthy foods. In particular, eat more vegetables and fruits, and eat less fatty or oily foods, red meat, processed foods, and foods that are high in sodium. Eating healthy lowers your risk of not just an aneurysm, but also heart disease and hypertension, which are both risk factors for aneurysm.
• Engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, or 150 minutes of exercise a week. Exercise helps keep your circulatory system in good working order, and lowers the risk of hypertension which is a risk factor for aneurysm.
• Keep your blood pressure under control. If you have a family history of hypertension, or if you yourself have hypertension, it would be a good idea to take steps in order to keep it under control.
• If you are obese or overweight, it would be best to try and slim down in order to reach your ideal weight. Obesity increases the risk of aneurysm, as well as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. So it would be best to try and lose weight in order to lower your risk of these health problems.
• For your overall wellbeing, stop smoking. Smoking increases the risk for cerebral aneurysms as the chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage blood vessels.

If you feel any unusual symptoms, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor, or go to the hospital immediately. When it comes to an aneurysm, the sooner it can be treated, the better the prognosis for the patient.

It is important to always listen to any symptoms that your body might be telling you, and do not disregard anything unusual. Being aware of any changes in your body is one of the best ways to prevent any serious illnesses.

Learn more about aneurysms here.