ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – More than 15,000 people die each year from a ruptured aortic aneurysm. An aortic aneurysm happens when a bulge develops in the major artery that carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body. It’s hard to spot an aortic aneurysm before it bursts, but as Ivanhoe reports, there are some important signs to look out for.
An aortic aneurysm is often dubbed a “ticking time bomb.” That’s because most people who have an abnormal bulge in their heart’s aorta don’t know it—until it bursts!
“The aorta doesn’t have pain fibers, so people don’t know that they already have an aneurysm, and they don’t know that their life is in danger. So, it’s really a silent assassin,” said Dr. Shahab Toursavadkohi, a vascular surgeon at University of Maryland Medical Center.
Nearly 75 percent of patients with a ruptured aneurysm will die. But at least 95 percent can be successfully treated if the aneurysm is detected before it bursts!
“As you can imagine, a rupture of a high-pressure piping inside your body can be very deadly,” said Dr. Toursavadkohi.
Usually, there are no symptoms before a rupture. But a few early warning signs of an aortic aneurysm include chest pain or tenderness, cough or hoarseness, shortness of breath, pain in the back, jaw, or neck, feeling full after small meals, or trouble swallowing. You are at a higher risk for developing an aortic aneurysm if you are male, over age 65, smoke, have high blood pressure, have heart disease, are obese, or have a family history. If you do spot an aneurysm before it ruptures—treatment can be lifesaving.
Dr. Toursavadkohi says aortic aneurysms are often discovered by chance when a patient undergoes imaging tests for another condition or has a physical exam with their doctor. A simple ultrasound can detect an abnormal bulge. Medicare and some private insurance offer free or low-cost aortic screenings for people at risk.
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Each year, more than 15,000 people die from a ruptured aortic aneurysm, a condition characterized by the development of a bulge in the major artery responsible for carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Detecting an aortic aneurysm before it bursts is challenging, but there are crucial signs to be aware of, as reported by Ivanhoe.
Often referred to as a “ticking time bomb,” an aortic aneurysm is frequently unknown to individuals until it ruptures. Dr. Shahab Toursavadkohi, a vascular surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center, explained, “The aorta doesn’t have pain fibers, so people don’t know that they already have an aneurysm, and they don’t know that their life is in danger. So, it’s really a silent assassin.”
Approximately 75 percent of patients with a ruptured aneurysm do not survive. However, if the aneurysm is detected before bursting, at least 95 percent of cases can be successfully treated. Dr. Toursavadkohi emphasized the danger of a rupture, stating, “As you can imagine, a rupture of a high-pressure piping inside your body can be very deadly.”
Typically, no symptoms manifest before an aneurysm ruptures. Nevertheless, there are a few early warning signs to watch for, including chest pain or tenderness, cough or hoarseness, shortness of breath, back, jaw or neck pain, feeling full after small meals, and difficulty swallowing. Certain factors increase the risk of developing an aortic aneurysm, such as being male, over the age of 65, smoking, having high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, or a family history of the condition. Identifying an aneurysm before it ruptures is crucial for life-saving treatment.
Dr. Toursavadkohi noted that aortic aneurysms are often serendipitously discovered during imaging tests or physical examinations performed for other medical reasons. A simple ultrasound examination can identify an abnormal bulge. Medicare and some private insurance providers offer free or low-cost aortic screenings to individuals at risk.
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Copyright 2023 WAFB. All rights reserved.
