What Are the Symptoms of an Aneurysm?

What are the symptoms of an aneurysm? How can you protect yourself against the dangers of aneurysms?

An aneurysm is the stretching of a segment of a blood vessel. In most cases, aneurysms look like berries hanging off the normal blood vessel. An aneurysm will usually be about twice the size of the diameter of the rest of the healthy blood vessel. It can occur in just about any blood vessel, but the aneurysms you probably hear most about are brain, abdominal aortic or heart aneurysms. An aneurysm will not hurt you simply by existing; it is the threat of rupture that makes an aneurysm so concerning. A ruptured aneurysm in the wrong spot can cause stroke or death.

Aneurysm Symptoms
It's important to know what the symptoms of an aneurysm are if you are at high risk for this medical condition. Stroke survivors and people with high blood pressure are at the greatest risk for aneurysms. Unfortunately, most aneurysms go undetected because they are symptomless or because the symptoms are attributed to other causes. If the aneurysm never ruptures, you may be fine, but it's best if your doctor can identify and treat an aneurysm since the possible negative outcome of a rupture is so serious.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Symptoms

• Unrelenting Pain: This is pain in the abdomen, flank or back that you cannot get rid of no matter how you reposition yourself. This is difficult to diagnose without a physician's exam, since there are so many possible causes of this kind of pain. If your doctor hears a pulsation when he uses the stethoscope on your abdomen, he may suspect an aneurysm.
• Loss of Appetite: You may experience nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.
• Strange Sensations in One Leg: Sometimes you'll feel a coolness, numbness or pins and needles sensation in one leg because of the partial blockage of the femoral artery due to the aneurysm. This is fairly rare, however.  

Heart Aneurysm Symptoms

• Pain: You may experience pain in the chest, jaw or arm if you are experiencing a heart aneurysm. Most heart aneurysms occur within weeks of a heart attack, so be especially alert if you have recently had heart trouble.
• Difficulty Breathing: If you find yourself straining for breath or feeling like you have an elephant sitting on your chest, get to the doctor and ask for him to check for an aneurysm.

Brain Aneurysm Symptoms

• Severe Headache: People who have brain aneurysms usually experience what they would call "the worst headache of a lifetime." Because there may be no other symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately if you have a severe headache, especially if you have high blood pressure or have had a stroke in the past.