🤢 2. Nausea and Vomiting
Often follows a sudden, severe headache.
Caused by a rapid rise in intracranial pressure from bleeding.
Unlike typical stomach issues, this comes on suddenly with no prior illness.
👀 3. Blurred or Double Vision
An unruptured aneurysm pressing on the optic nerve or eye muscles can distort vision.
You might see double, have trouble focusing, or notice a sudden blind spot.
Can also cause drooping eyelid or dilated pupil.
🌀 4. Stiff Neck
A stiff, painful neck — especially when bending forward — can indicate blood irritating the meninges (brain lining).
Often described as feeling like severe muscle tension at the base of the skull.
🌫️ 5. Sensitivity to Light (Photophobia)
Bright lights feel painful or overwhelming.
Commonly occurs with headaches and nausea — a sign of brain irritation from bleeding.
😵 6. Dizziness or Loss of Balance
Sudden difficulty walking, coordination problems, or feeling off-balance.
May be mistaken for vertigo or inner ear issues — but when combined with other symptoms, it’s a red flag.
🗣️ 7. Speech Difficulties
Slurred speech, trouble finding words, or garbled talking.
Similar to stroke symptoms — because it is a type of stroke when ruptured.
🧠 8. Confusion or Mental Fog
Sudden confusion, disorientation, or inability to concentrate.
May seem “not like themselves” — a key clue loved ones often notice first.
⚡ 9. Seizures
A sudden seizure in someone with no history can be a sign of a ruptured aneurysm.
Caused by abnormal electrical activity due to bleeding in the brain.
😶 10. Loss of Consciousness
Fainting or passing out suddenly after a severe headache.
A medical emergency requiring immediate intervention.
🖐️ 11. Weakness or Numbness on One Side of the Body
Paralysis or tingling in the face, arm, or leg — usually on one side.
Mirrors stroke symptoms and signals brain dysfunction.
😟 12. Sudden Anxiety or "Sense of Doom"
Some patients report an intense, unexplained fear or feeling that “something is terribly wrong” right before rupture.
Though vague, this gut instinct should never be ignored — especially with other symptoms.
🩺 Types of Aneurysms & Risk Factors
🔹 Unruptured Aneurysm
May cause mild symptoms if pressing on brain tissue (e.g., vision changes, headaches).
Often found incidentally during brain scans.
🔹 Ruptured Aneurysm
Medical emergency. Mortality rate is up to 50% within the first month.
About 1 in 3 survivors suffer long-term disability.
📌 Who’s at Risk?
Smokers (3x higher risk)
High blood pressure (major contributor)
Family history of aneurysms
Age 40+ (most common in adults 40–60)
Certain conditions: PCOS, connective tissue disorders, brain tumors
✅ What to Do If You Notice These Signs
🆘 If symptoms come on suddenly — especially #1 (worst headache ever) — CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.
Time is brain.
🚑 Emergency treatment may include:
CT scan or lumbar puncture (to detect blood)
Cerebral angiogram (to locate the aneurysm)
Surgery (clipping) or endovascular coiling (minimally invasive)
🩺 For unruptured aneurysms found early:
Monitoring with regular imaging
Lifestyle changes (quit smoking, control BP)
Preventive repair if high-risk
❤️ Final Thought: Listen to Your Body — And Trust Your Instincts
You don’t need to panic every time you get a headache.
But if something feels different — sharper, more intense, paired with strange neurological symptoms — do not brush it off.
A brain aneurysm doesn’t announce itself politely.
It strikes fast.
It hits hard.
And the only thing standing between disaster and survival…
is awareness.
So share this list. Talk about it. Save it.
Because sometimes, knowing the signs isn't just helpful.
It's lifesaving.