Causes of Aneurysms

Vikas Patel MD is a medical professional with expertise in neurology and neurosurgery. He is a certified neurologist who has performed many surgeries to treat medical conditions like cerebrovascular diseases. Dr. Vikas Patel has also undertaken many neurology research studies and contributed to publications on leading subjects, such as aneurism.

Aneurysm refers to an enlargement of a blood artery inside the body due to pressure on its borders. This condition could lead to rupturing and causing internal bleeding. High blood pressure is a leading causal factor in an aneurysm. The pressure exerted by the flowing blood on the artery walls makes them likely to be enlarged during this condition.

High blood pressure results from poor dietary habits, stress, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. Aging is also a factor in aneurysm as the blood arteries' walls get weaker as we grow older. The majority of the cases usually occur in people aged over 65 years. Heavy smoking and substance abuse also lead to aneurysms, most times in the brain.

A brain aneurysm can also be caused by severe head injuries or constant blows to the head. This is also the case with stabbing and gun-shot wounds, which are likely to rupture the blood artery. The condition is also inherited by people from families with a high incidence of aneurysms, especially with genetic diseases. There are also ailments like atherosclerotic disease, bacteria/fungal infections, and some inner-body disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that lead to aneurysms. 

What is Brain Aneurysm?

Dr. Vikas Patel is a medical professional with almost ten years of experience in residencies and fellowships in the fields of neurology and neurosurgery. In 2019, he completed a fellowship at the Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in Valhalla, New York. Vikas Patel, M.D. managed patients with cerebrovascular diseases and performed diagnostic cerebral and spinal angiography, coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms.

The brain is vascularized with blood vessels, which can potentially wear out from constant blood flow, causing a brain aneurysm. The aneurysm occurs in the wall of the blood vessel and is characterized by a weak spot that bulges out and grows.

Most brain aneurysms have no symptoms or complications, and often people have one without realizing. However, if ruptured, the aneurysm can cause bleeding into the brain and become life-threatening. It is essential to check with a medical doctor whenever a combination of the symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurism appears, namely extremely severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, seizure, loss of consciousness, and more.