What Are The Effects of Having an Aneurysm?
An aneurysm happens when your blood pressure hits a weak part of the artery, forcing the artery wall to bulge out in a balloon effect. Aneurysms can occur in any part of the body, and can have serious side effects depending on where they happen. One Community Health offers preventative care and screenings as well as routine check-ups to make sure that you aren’t at risk of suffering an aneurysm.
Types of Aneurysms
High blood pressure, wounds, infections, and atherosclerosis(the hardening and narrowing of your arteries) can all cause aneurysms. Along with the threat of an aneurysm comes the possibility of strokes or internal bleeding. Blood clots and problems with circulation can occur as well.
Common types of aneurysms include:
- Aortic Aneurysm
This type happens in your aorta. You may experience deep constant pain in or to the side of your abdomen, back pain, or pulsing by your naval.
- Cerebral Aneurysm
Also known as a berry aneurysm, this type occurs in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain. You may experience changes in vision, numbness, weakness, pain above or on the eye, face paralysis, and dilated pupils.
- Popliteal Artery Aneurysm
This type occurs in the wall of the artery that supplies blood to the knee joint, calf and thigh. This aneurysm is typically asymptomatic but if it is near a nerve pain will occur. If it is near a vein you will experience swelling
- Ventricular Aneurysm
This aneurysm causes a bulge in the wall of the heart. Symptoms can include tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pain, and heart arrhythmia.
Cerebral Aneurysms
A brain aneurysm is by far the most dangerous, and can have different symptoms depending on whether or not it has ruptured. If the aneurysm has not ruptured, you might experience:
- Headache
- Dilated pupils
- Blurred or double vision
- Pain above and behind one eye
- Drooping eyelids
- A hard time speaking
- Weakness and numbness in one side of your face
If the aneurysm has ruptured, you must seek medical attention immediately. Signs can include intense headache, losing consciousness, vomiting, seizure, and loss of balance.
It’s important to get diagnosis and treatment as early as possible. Aneurysms often have mild symptoms or none at all, so routine exams can help your doctor recognize any warning signs.
Routine Checkups
Are you concerned about the effects of having an aneurysm? If you’re at risk for an aneurysm, One Community Health will closely monitor your health and your medications and let you know if you need to make any changes. We carefully select your treatment plan based on your personal history as well as your blood pressure measurements. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash
