Is it a brain aneurysm?

When you get a bad headache - a really bad headache - do you ever worry that it may be something more serious, like a stroke or an aneurysm?

I have known a few people, personally, who had brain aneurysms, two survived and are living happy and healthy lives now, one did not. Yesterday, the luck ran out: a brain aneurysm took the life of a vibrant, loving and giving woman who left us way too soon: Help My Hurt lost one of its own today - RIP Tricia.

How can you tell if you have an aneurysm? Sadly, you can't.

First - what is an brain aneurysm? An aneurysm is a weakness, a bulge, in an arterial wall. With brain or cerebral aneurysms, this happens in the brain. Many people do have aneurysms but they never burst. As long as they stay intact, there are no problems, unless they are large and place pressure on surrounding tissues. If they rupture, time is of the essence.

What are the signs and symptoms? For the most part, there are none. If you have a large aneurysm that places pressure on neighboring tissues, you may experience intense head pain, visual problems, or paralysis on one side of your face.

If the aneurysm ruptures, the symptoms are sudden, severe, and rapid:

• Sudden, extremely severe headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Double vision
• Loss of consciousness

Today on Help My Hurt:

Video: the impact of pain on sleep
Help My Hurt lost one of its own today - RIP Tricia
Random thought - how could that *not* hurt??
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