What Causes a Brain Aneurysm to Form?

Brain aneurysms are a common problem that can lead to serious health issues. A brain aneurysm occurs when a weakened area on the wall of a blood vessel forms a blood filled, balloon-like bulge. The bulge is the aneurysm. When the aneurysm fills with blood it will cause the blood vessel to become weaker. When it becomes very full it can cause the aneurysm to rupture. This is what leads to serious health problems. The blood vessel is what supplies the brain with the blood and oxygen it needs to function. When the aneurysm ruptures, it can cause bleeding in the brain which can lead to stroke or even death.

There a few brain aneurysm causes. One of the most common brain aneurysm causes is hardening of the arteries. When the arteries become hard, the blood vessel walls will begin to weaken. This makes it easier for the aneurysm to form. Another common brain aneurysm cause is aging. Like with hardening of the arteries, when we age, our arteries and blood vessels begin to weaken and even become thinner. The blood will begin to build-up on the wall and an aneurysm will form. There are a few brain aneurysm causes that are easily avoidable. Smoking tobacco is one of the causes. People that smoke are more susceptible to aneurysms. It will also increase the chance of the aneurysm rupturing. The risk is relative to the amount of cigarettes that the person smokes. The more a person smokes, the higher the risk. Smoking can also lead to another brain aneurysm cause, hypertension. People that have high blood pressure, or hypertension, are more likely to get a brain aneurysm then those that do not. Same goes for high cholesterol. Having high cholesterol is another brain aneurysm cause. The best prevention would be to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control. There are other brain aneurysm causes that are unavoidable. Women are 50% more likely to get an aneurysm more than men. Also, if you have a family history of aneurysms you are more likely to get one. Finally, if you have experienced one aneurysm, you are more likely to get another.

Since there are many different brain aneurysm causes it is important to take all precautions to avoid them. Not smoking, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control, exercising and eating right are the best ways to prevent brain aneurysms from forming. In some cases, they are unavoidable, but taking these precautions may also help reduce the chance of the aneurysm rupturing if one does form.