Brain Aneurysm: Warning Signs and When to Get Help

A brain aneurysm is an abnormal bulge or "balloon" in the wall of an artery in the brain. Because they are often the size of a small berry, they are sometimes called berry aneurysms.

Symptoms

Most cause no symptoms until they grow large, start to leak blood, or burst. One that presses on nerves in the brain can cause:

• a drooping eyelid;
• double vision or other changes in sight;
• pain above or behind the eye;
• a dilated pupil;
• numbness or weakness on one side of the face or body.

If it bursts

A burst aneurysm can cause:

• a sudden, severe headache;
• nausea and vomiting;
• a stiff neck;
• loss of consciousness;
• signs of a stroke.

Any of these needs immediate medical attention.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the aneurysm's size and location, whether it is infected, and whether it has burst.

Sources

• "Brain Aneurysm," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH). https://medlineplus.gov/brainaneurysm.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.