How does aneurysm happen

They can also be hereditary. Aortic disease or an injury may also cause an aneurysm. A family history of aneurysm may increase your risk for developing an aneurysm. Other risk factors include high blood pressure , high cholesterol and tobacco use. Learn more about the different types of aneurysms. If an aneurysm expands quickly or ruptures, symptoms can vary based on the location and may develop suddenly. Depending on the site of the aneurysm, symptoms can include:. It may be that the harmful substances in tobacco smoke damage the walls of your blood vessels.

High blood pressure can place increased pressure on the walls of the blood vessels inside the brain, increasing your chances of developing an aneurysm. Having a first-degree relative, such as a parent, brother or sister, with a history of a brain aneurysm means you're more likely to develop one than someone with no family history of the condition. But the increased risk is still small: only around 1 in 50 people with a family history of a ruptured brain aneurysm have a rupture themselves.

Your risk of developing a brain aneurysm increases as you get older, with most cases diagnosed in people over the age of This may be because the walls of the blood vessels are weakened over time by the constant pressure of blood flowing through them. Women are more likely to develop a brain aneurysm than men. This may be because levels of a hormone called oestrogen lower significantly after the menopause.

Oestrogen is thought to help maintain the elasticity of the blood vessels. A brain aneurysm can develop after a severe brain injury if the blood vessels in the brain are damaged, although this is very rare. Cocaine abuse is considered to be another risk factor for brain aneurysms. The potential risk of brain damage resulting from surgical complications is too great.

Instead of surgery, patients receive guidance on how to monitor and manage the risk factors for a ruptured brain aneurysm, for example, monitoring blood pressure. If a ruptured cranial aneurysm results in a subarachnoid hemorrhage, surgery is likely.

This is considered a medical emergency. This procedure would aim to close off the ruptured artery in the hope of preventing another bleed. However, an unruptured aneurysm may still obstruct circulation to other tissues. They can also form blood clots that may go on to obstruct smaller blood vessels. This is a condition known as thromboembolism.

It can lead to ischemic stroke or other serious complications. Rapidly growing abdominal aneurysms are sometimes associated with symptoms. Some people with abdominal aneurysms report abdominal pain, lower back pain , or a pulsating sensation in the abdomen.

Similarly, thoracic aneurysms can affect nearby nerves and other blood vessels, potentially causing swallowing and breathing difficulties, and pain in the jaw, chest, and upper back. Symptoms can also relate to the cause of an aneurysm rather than the aneurysm itself. For example, in the case of an aneurysm caused by vasculitis, or blood vessel inflammation , a person may experience fever , malaise, or weight loss.

The first signs of a previously undetected aneurysm could be complications upon rupture. Symptoms tend to result from a rupture rather than the aneurysm alone. Most people living with an aneurysm do not experience any complications. However, in addition to thromboembolism and rupture of the aorta, complications can include:.

Any rupture of an aneurysm may cause pain, low blood pressure, a rapid heart rate, and lightheadedness. Most people with an aneurysm will not experience any complications. An aneurysm can happen in any part of the body. Blood pressure can more easily distend a weakened arterial wall. Further research is necessary to confirm why an artery wall weakens to cause an aneurysm. Some aneurysms, though less common, are present from birth as an arterial defect.

Aortic dissection is one identifiable cause of an aortic aneurysm. The arterial wall has three layers. Blood can burst through a tear in the weakened wall of the artery, splitting these layers. It can then fill the cavity surrounding the heart. If the tear occurs on the innermost layer of the arterial wall, blood channels into and weakens the wall, increasing the risk of rupture.

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