Litigation

September is brain aneurysm awareness month

By Michael Kaplen

Brain aneurysms can occur in anyone, at any age. An estimated 6 million people in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm. Each year, about 30,000 people in the U.S. will suffer from a ruptured brain aneurysm.  About 40% of those experiencing a ruptured brain aneurysm will die.

A brain aneurysm occurs as a result of a weakness in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain.  The vessel begins to leak blood causing a brain hemorrage.

To raise awareness of the dangers and increase public awareness and understanding of brain aneurysms, including methods of early detection and treatment, September has been identified as National Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month.

Early detection and prompt treatment can make a significance difference in the outcome and the failure to make a proper diagnosis and institute prompt treatment including surgery may be considered to be medical malpractice.  The brain injury law firm of De Caro & Kaplen, LLP can provide needed assistance.

If the brain aneurysm is diagnosed early with proper screening, it can be treated before it ruptures, saving lives.

Here are some important tips on ways to reduce your risk for a brain aneurysm and what warning signs and symptoms to look for:

? Understand risk factors
Researchers and doctors have identified several risk factors which they believe contribute to the formation of a brain aneurysm including: family history of brain aneurysms, smoking, high blood pressure or hypertension, drug use, infection, tumors, traumatic head injury, age (over 40), gender (women have an increased ratio over men 3:2), presence of an arteriovenous malformation or other inherited disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, kidney disease and Marfan syndrome.

? Signs and Symptoms of brain aneurysms
Brain aneurysms can be similar to heart attacks. Just like a person may have no warning of an impending heart attack, there almost is never a warning that a brain aneurysm is about to rupture. Fortunately, through imaging screening techniques, individuals at high risk of harboring a brain aneurysm can be identified easily with non-invasive imaging tests.

? Know what warning signs and symptoms to look for
Small unruptured brain aneurysms are typically not associated with any symptoms ? however, large unruptured aneurysm can occasionally press on the brain or nerves and may result in various neurological symptoms including: localized headache, dilated pupils, blurred or double vision, pain above and behind the eye, weakness and numbness or difficulty speaking.

Ruptured brain aneurysms usually result in bleeding in the brain which causes sudden symptoms including: sudden severe headache, loss of consciousness, nausea/vomiting, stiff neck, sudden blurred or double vision, sudden pain above the eye/difficulty seeing, sudden trouble walking or dizziness, sudden change in mental status/awareness, sensitive to light, seizure or drooping eyelid. 

? Seek medical attention
Any individual experiencing some or all of these symptoms, regardless of age, should undergo immediate and careful evaluation by a physician.

Full post as published by Brain Injury News and Information on September 14, 2010 (boomark / email).