An aneurysm is caused by a weak area found in a blood vessel’s wall. While they can occur in any blood vessel in your body, they most often form in arteries rather than veins. They can occur in various body parts, including your brain, neck, kidney, spleen, aorta, and intestines. The most common type of aneurysm develops in your aorta, the body’s largest artery that carries oxygenated blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Aortic aneurysms can be divided into two major types: abdominal aortic aneurysms and thoracic aortic aneurysms. Other types of aneurysms include common iliac, femoral, popliteal artery, and cerebral aneurysms.
A ruptured aneurysm can be life-threatening; in fact, you could die within minutes. This begs the question: is it possible to prevent an aneurysm from forming?
One thing that is important is making sure you are aware of aneurysm risk factors. There are ones that you may control, such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. There are also ones that are out of your control: genetic factors, being older, being male, and a family history of aneurysms.
The best way to prevent an aneurysm, however, is leading a healthy lifestyle:
If your doctor diagnoses an aneurysm before it escalates, your physician may suggest an endovascular embolization. This is a minimally invasive procedure that treats an aneurysm by blocking the flow of blood into it.
The Ezra full-body scan may find aneurysms in your pelvis, brain, and abdomen. If you’re interested in learning more, you may do so here.
