The Dreadful Connexion

This is pretty freaky, and I have a cause to be a little concerned. But then who are we humans to know what lies ahead in life?
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1. Below is part of a short Q&A from Newsmax Health on whether aneurysms are inherited, and if family screening is necessary for those having family members with the condition.

2. And quoting from NHS Choices:

"An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel that is caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall. As the blood passes through the weakened part of the vessel, the blood pressure causes it to bulge outwards like a balloon.

If the aneurysm grows too big, there is a danger that it will rupture (split) which can cause potentially fatal internal bleeding and organ damage.

Types of aneurysms

An aneurysm can develop anywhere in the body but the two most common types of aneurysms are:

• an intracranial aneurysm (also known as a cerebral aneurysm), which develops inside the brain, and
• an aortic aneurysm, which develops inside the aorta. The aorta is a large blood vessel that runs down the abdomen and transports blood away from the heart.....

How common are aneurysms?

In England, it is estimated that between 1 and 6% of the population has an intracranial aneurysm.

Aortic aneurysms usually develop in people who are 65 years of age or over, and they are thought to be more common in men than women. It is estimated that between 1.3 and 8.9% of older men, and 1 and 2.2% of older women have an aortic aneurysm.

As unruptured aneurysms do not usually cause symptoms, it is difficult for researchers to give more accurate estimates.

Ruptured aneurysms are a small but significant cause of death in the UK. In the UK each year, an estimated 8,000 people die because of a ruptured aortic aneurysm and an estimated 1,400 people die as a result of a ruptured intracranial aneurysm.

In many cases, the exact cause of an aneurysm is often unclear, but known risk factors include:

• smoking,
• high blood pressure (hypertension), and
• having a family history of aneurysms.......

Outlook

In cases of ruptured aneurysms, the outlook is poor.

An estimated 65-85% of people with a ruptured aortic aneurysm will die, and about half of all deaths occur before the person is taken to hospital.

An estimated 10% of people with a ruptured intracranial aneurysm will die before reaching hospital and a further 50% of people will die within one month.

Half of all people who survive an intracranial aneurysm will experience brain damage."

3. Scary as it is, this is life
Appearing healthy does not necessarily mean being healthy. Without seeing what's inside, we can never really tell what's the actual state of health within ourselves just because we feel fine.

With regard to aneurysm, the prognosis is usually unfavourable by the time it's diagnosed, i.e. rupture would have occured by the time one learns of the existence of aneurysm, and thus too late for anything to be done.