What happens if an artery bursts

These are called abdominal aortic aneurysms AAA. Aneurysms that occur in the chest are called thoracic aortic aneurysms TAA. About 1 in 50 people has some type of aneurysm in the brain. Many of these are small and cause no real problems. But each year about 27, people in the U. Age and gender also contribute to risk.

Aortic aneurysms are most common in men after age Brain aneurysms appear more often in women between 30 and 60 years of age. The symptoms of an aneurysm can vary widely and depend on its location and size. Large AAAs might cause a throbbing in the abdomen. Large TAAs may lead to pain in the back, jaw, neck or chest. Brain aneurysms can cause pain around the eye or numbness on one side of the face. If an aneurysm ruptures or dissects, get immediate medical attention. Sudden, severe pain in the lower abdomen and back can indicate a ruptured AAA.

Dissected or ruptured TAAs may cause sharp pain that travels from the upper back to the abdomen. Someone who is overweight may only have to walk up a slope to get this feeling. Get more ideas on being active. Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body. This can raise your blood pressure, which in turn puts pressure on your arteries.

Use a BMI healthy weight calculator to find out if you need to lose weight. If you need to shed some weight, it's worth remembering that losing just a few pounds will make a big difference to your blood pressure and overall health. Get tips on losing weight safely and read more about preventing high blood pressure. Home Illnesses and conditions Heart and blood vessels Conditions Abdominal aortic aneurysm. Abdominal aortic aneurysm See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1.

About abdominal aortic aneurysms 2. Symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm 3. Causes of an abdominal aortic aneurysm 4. Diagnosing an abdominal aortic aneurysm 5. Treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm 6. Preventing an abdominal aortic aneurysm. About abdominal aortic aneurysms An abdominal aortic aneurysm AAA is a swelling aneurysm of the aorta — the main blood vessel that leads away from the heart, down through the abdomen to the rest of the body.

The most common symptom of a ruptured aortic aneurysm is sudden and severe pain in the abdomen. Causes of an AAA It's not known exactly what causes the aortic wall to weaken, although increasing age and being male are known to be the biggest risk factors. Diagnosing an AAA Because AAAs usually cause no symptoms, they tend to be diagnosed either as a result of screening or during a routine examination — for example, if a GP notices a pulsating sensation in your abdomen.

You will also have the size of your aneurysm checked regularly with ultrasound scanning. Prevention The best way to prevent getting an aneurysm — or reduce the risk of an aneurysm growing bigger and possibly rupturing — is to avoid anything that could damage your blood vessels, such as: smoking eating a high-fat diet not exercising regularly being overweight or obese Read more about preventing aneurysms. Screening Read more about screening for an AAA.

Symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm In most cases, an unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm AAA will cause no symptoms, unless it becomes particularly large. Symptoms of an unruptured AAA may include: a pulsating feeling in your stomach abdomen , usually near your belly button, that's usually only noticeable when you touch it persistent back pain persistent abdominal pain If you have any of the symptoms above, you should see your GP as soon as possible.

Ruptured AAA If your aortic aneurysm ruptures, you will feel a sudden and severe pain in the middle or side of your abdomen. Causes of an abdominal aortic aneurysm The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body.

Risk factors for an AAA It's not known exactly what causes the aortic wall to weaken, although increasing age and being male are known to be the biggest risk factors.

Men are around six times more likely to be diagnosed with an AAA than women. Smoking Research has found that smokers are seven times more likely to develop an AAA than people who have never smoked.

Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty deposits, such as cholesterol. High blood pressure As well as contributing to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure hypertension can place increased pressure on the aorta's wall. Family history Having a family history of AAAs means that you have an increased risk of developing one. However, no specific genes have yet been identified.

Diagnosing an abdominal aortic aneurysm An abdominal aortic aneurysm AAA usually causes no symptoms. Treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm Treatment for an abdominal aortic aneurysm AAA depends on several factors, including the aneurysm's size, your age and general health. See below for more information on treating small and medium aneurysms.

There are two surgical techniques used to treat a large aneurysm: endovascular surgery open surgery Although both techniques are equally effective at reducing the risk of the aneurysm bursting, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The surgeon will discuss with you which is most suitable. Endovascular surgery Endovascular surgery is a type of "keyhole" surgery where the surgeon makes small cuts in your groin. This reinforces the aorta, reducing the risk of it bursting.

There are also fewer major complications, such as wound infection or deep vein thrombosis DVT. Open surgery In open surgery, the surgeon cuts into your stomach abdomen to reach the abdominal aorta and replaces the enlarged section with a graft.

This type of graft is a tube made of a synthetic material. There is also a greater risk of complications, such as wound infection, chest infection and DVT. If you have a small or medium AAA If you are diagnosed with a small 3. You will also be given advice on how to prevent the aneurysm from getting bigger, including: stopping smoking eating a balanced diet ensuring you maintain a healthy weight taking regular exercise If you smoke, the most important change you can make is to quit.

Your GP will be sent your test result and may decide to change your current medication or start you on a new one, especially if you have: high blood pressure — which you will probably be treated for with a medication called an angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE inhibitor high cholesterol — which you will probably be treated for with a medication called a statin Treating a ruptured AAA Emergency treatment for a ruptured AAA is based on the same principle as preventative treatment.

Preventing an abdominal aortic aneurysm The best way to prevent getting an aneurysm, or reduce the risk of an aneurysm growing bigger and possibly rupturing, is to avoid anything that could damage your blood vessels. This includes: smoking eating a high-fat diet not exercising regularly being overweight or obese If your GP finds out you have high blood pressure or a high cholesterol level, you may be prescribed medication for both.

Smoking Smoking is a major risk factor for aneurysms because it causes atherosclerosis hardening of the arteries and raises your blood pressure.

Tobacco smoke contains substances that can damage the walls of the arteries. It is known that smokers are seven times more likely than non-smokers to develop an AAA. Diet Eating a high-fat diet increases your risk of atherosclerosis.

Exercise Being active and doing regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition. Regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.

Examples of moderate intensity activity include cycling or fast walking. If your risk of a rupture is low, you'll have regular check-ups to monitor your aneurysm. You may also be given medicine to reduce your blood pressure and advice about ways you can reduce your chances of a rupture, such as stopping smoking if you smoke.

The same techniques used to prevent ruptures are also used to treat brain aneurysms that have already ruptured. Exactly what causes the wall of affected blood vessels to weaken is still unclear, although risk factors have been identified. In some cases, an aneurysm may develop because there was a weakness in the walls of the blood vessels at birth. It's difficult to estimate exactly how many people are affected by brain aneurysms because they usually cause no symptoms and pass undetected.

Some experts believe it could be as high as 1 in 20 people, while others think the figure is much lower at around 1 in people. The number of aneurysms that actually rupture is much smaller.

Only around 1 in 12, people have a ruptured brain aneurysm in England each year. Brain aneurysms can develop in anyone at any age, but are more common in people over the age of The best way to prevent getting an aneurysm, or reduce the risk of an aneurysm growing bigger and possibly rupturing, is to avoid activities that could damage your blood vessels.

Find out more about preventing aneurysms. Page last reviewed: 16 August Next review due: 16 August