More than 15,000 people die each year from ruptured aortic aneurysms. This happens when a bulge forms in the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
An aortic aneurysm is often described as “a bomb about to explode”. This is because most people who have an abnormal protrusion of the aorta of the heart are not aware of it.
“There are no pain fibers in the aorta, so people don’t know they already have an aneurysm, and they don’t know their lives are in danger. So it’s really a silent killer,” says Shahab Tursavadkohi, a vascular surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Almost 75 percent of patients with ruptured aneurysms die, according to medical experts, and at least 95 percent can be successfully treated if the aneurysm is caught before it bursts.
“As you can imagine, bursting a high pressure pipe inside your body can be very deadly. There are usually no symptoms before the rupture. back, jaw or neck, feeling full after small meals, or trouble swallowing,” says Shahab Tursavadkohi, MD.
Dr. Tursavadkoi says aortic aneurysms are often found incidentally when a patient is undergoing imaging tests for another condition or undergoing a physical examination by their doctor.
A simple ultrasound can detect an abnormal tumor. Medicare and some private insurance companies offer free or low-cost aortic exams for people at high risk.
If you are at increased risk for an aortic aneurysm, are a male 65 years of age or older, smoke, have high blood pressure, have heart disease, are obese, or have a family history, finding an aneurysm before it ruptures can save your life. with the right treatment.
