Cerebral aneurysm
Your brain and spinal cord are supplied blood by major blood vessels known as arteries and veins. Blood vessels allow blood to travel to all parts of your brain to provide it with oxygen and energy.
A cerebral aneurysm occurs when a point in an artery in the brain swells. A point in a brain artery can swell because part of an artery wall has become weak. Cerebral aneurysms can be caused by disease or injury, but other times they occur because someone has been born with this predisposition.
What are symptoms of a cerebral aneurysm?
Symptoms of a cerebral aneurysm include:
- a severe headache
- blurred vision
- a stiff neck
- light-headedness or dizziness
- nausea and vomiting
- a seizure
- a drooping eyelid
- loss of consciousness
- sensitivity to light
Treatment
If you think you may be experiencing a cerebral aneurysm, seek medical attention immediately. A neurosurgeon can treat an aneurysm with a surgical or an endovascular procedure.
To lower your risk of experiencing an aneurysm, eat well, manage stress, exercise regularly and do not smoke.
If you have a medical emergency, call 000 (triple zero) immediately.
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