Brain Aneurysm Causes: How Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure Increases Your Risk of Silent Brain Damage

Brain Aneurysm Causes: Brain aneurysms are among the most frightening and unexpected medical situations. Read on to know more about this medical emergency and what symptoms may develop in your body when you suffer from this condition.

Brain aneurysms are the silent vascular damage you should never ignore. A brain aneurysm is regarded as a weakened area that bulges in the wall of one of the arteries in the brain. Many patients suffer from small brain aneurysms that are small and 80% do not produce any symptoms. However, if they burst, patients may suffer life-threatening bleeding strokes.

In this article, Dr. Gaurav Batra, Neurosurgeon (Brain & Spine), Max SuperSpeciality Hospital,Vaishali, helps us understand what exactly Brain aneurysms look like and what are the major contributing factors.

Brain Aneurysm Symptoms You Should Never Ignore, And Its Causes

Warning signs of rupture are sudden, severe thunderclap headache, vomiting, neck stiffness, loss of consciousness, seizure, blurred or double vision. Several factors affect the development of brain aneurysms.

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle plays an important role in vascular disease and aneurysm formation. One of the major lifestyle factors that contributes to the development of aneurysms is smoking. Smoking is one of the most modifiable risk factors for the development of aneurysms in the brain. The toxins present in tobacco products affect the blood vessel walls and decrease their elasticity, making it prone to aneurysm formation and weakening of the blood vessel walls. Another lifestyle factor that affects vascular diseases is alcohol consumption. A major contributor to the development of aneurysm is the excessive intake of alcohol due to its effects of increasing blood pressure and causing vascular disease in the body. Other lifestyle factors like improper diet, lack of exercise, and being obese also contribute to the development of aneurysm formation by causing atherosclerosis and weakening blood vessel walls.

Blood Pressure and Vascular Stress

Hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, is a major cause of brain aneurysms. This is because high blood pressure exerts a tremendous amount of pressure on blood vessel walls. Eventually, due to this pressure, the blood vessel walls become susceptible to dilation. As a result, there is a high possibility of aneurysms developing. Uncontrolled hypertension is also one of the reasons why aneurysms can continue to grow. Proper control of blood pressure in a person is crucial in preventing aneurysms.

Genetic Influence

Genetics are also contributing factors in the susceptibility of an individual to the development of brain aneurysms. Individuals who have a history in the family of people developing brain aneurysms and those suffering from genetic disorders, including polycystic kidney disease and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, are more susceptible to developing the condition due to the weakness in the walls of the blood vessels, which are more vulnerable due to the genetic factors. However, the fact that it is genetic cannot be altered.

Diagnosis is usually done by CT Angiography, MR angiography or DSA (gold standard for exact mapping

Treatment usually done is endovascular coiling which is minimally invasive and offers quick recovery or microsurgical clipping surgery which is highly durable for certain aneurysms.

Brain Aneurysm: How To Keep The Brain Safe And Healthy?

The onset of a brain aneurysm does not result from a single variable but rather from lifestyle variables and blood pressure variables combined with genetics. Embracing good lifestyle practices and an effort to control high blood pressure offer an effective approach in discouraging the eventual development of a brain aneurysm.

Aneurysms rarely offer second chances. If you experience a sudden, severe headache, don't wait. Seek medical help immediately.