Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month
SEPTEMBER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
What you need to know and why it can save a life
Every September, health organizations, hospitals, and survivor communities across the country come together for Brain Aneurysm
Awareness Month. It's a time to educate the public about a condition that's far more common — and far more silent — than most people
realize. September 15th is specifically recognized as Brain Aneurysm Awareness Day.
The goal isn't to alarm people. It's to make sure that when warning signs do show up, people recognize them and act fast — because with
this condition, time really does equal survival. This guide goes deeper than the basics: what aneurysms actually are, how doctors find and
treat them, what recovery looks like, and how you can get involved this month.
IN THIS GUIDE:
What Is a Brain Aneurysm?
Types of Brain Aneurysms
The Numbers Are Bigger Than You'd Think
What Causes an Aneurysm to Form?
Know the Warning Signs
How Aneurysms Are Diagnosed
Treatment Options
Life After Diagnosis or Rupture
Know Your Risk Factors
Myths vs. Facts
How You Can Get Involved
What Is a Brain Aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm is a weak or thin spot on the wall of an artery in the brain that bulges outward and fills with blood similar to a thin spot
on an inner tube or balloon. Most form silently over time from ordinary wear and tear on the arteries, though some are linked to injury,
infection, or inherited tendencies.
The tricky part is that an unruptured aneurysm usually causes no symptoms at all. Many people carry one for years without ever knowing
it's there. Aneurysms can range from a few millimeters to well over an inch across, and size, shape, and location all factor into how a doctor
assesses risk. Types of Brain Aneurysms:
Not all aneurysms look or behave the same way. Doctors generally classify them by shape and by how they form:
By Shape:
Saccular (berry) aneurysms the most common type, forming a rounded pouch attached to an artery by a narrow neck, resembling a
berry hanging off a vine. Most occur at branch points in the arteries at the base of the brain.
Fusiform aneurysms a bulge that involves the full circumference of the artery wall rather than a single outpouching, so there's no
distinct neck. These are less common and can be more challenging to treat
By Cause:
Degenerative aneurysms — the majority of cases, developing gradually from chronic wear on the artery wall, often worsened by high blood pressure and smoking.
Traumatic aneurysms — resulting from a head injury that damages an artery wall.
Infectious (mycotic) aneurysms — rare aneurysms caused by an infection that weakens the arterial wall, sometimes linked to bacterial endocarditis.
Familial aneurysms — occurring in people with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) who has had one, suggesting a genetic component.
The Numbers Are Bigger Than You'd Think Estimates suggest that up to 1 in 50 people in the U.S. will develop a brain aneurysm at some point in their life.
Millions of Americans are living with an aneurysm they don't know about — state proclamations have cited figures in the
range of 6 to 12 million undiagnosed cases nationally.
Each year, roughly 30,000 to 40,000 people in the U.S. experience a ruptured brain aneurysm.
When a rupture happens, it's serious: close to half of ruptures are fatal, and of those who survive, a significant share are left
with some lasting neurological effect.
Brain aneurysms are most common in adults ages 35–60, though they can occur at any age, including in children.
Women are affected somewhat more often than men.
Research on unruptured aneurysms suggests annual rupture rates typically fall somewhere between roughly 0.5% and 1.3%
per year, depending on size, location, and other risk factors — which is why doctors weigh monitoring against treatment
carefully for each patient.
What Causes an Aneurysm to Form?
Arteries are built to handle constant pressure from blood flow, but repeated stress on a weak point in the vessel wall — often where the wall
is naturally thinner, such as at a branching point — can cause it to stretch and bulge over time. Several things can accelerate this process:
Hemodynamic stress — the natural turbulence of blood flow at artery branch points puts extra strain on those spots, which is why aneurysms cluster there.
Chronic high blood pressure — constant excess force on artery walls accelerates weakening.
Connective tissue and vascular conditions — disorders like polycystic kidney disease, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and fibromuscular dysplasia are associated with higher aneurysm risk.
Smoking — damages blood vessel walls and is one of the strongest known modifiable risk factors for both forming and rupturing an aneurysm.
Age-related wear — the cumulative effect of decades of blood flow, which is part of why risk rises with age
Know the Warning Signs:
Because unruptured aneurysms are usually silent, awareness of symptoms matters most in two situations: when a larger unruptured aneurysm starts pressing on nearby nerves or tissue, and when one ruptures.
ACT IMMEDIATELY:
If you or someone near you experiences sudden, severe symptoms like these, treat it like a stroke or heart attack: call emergency services immediately. Every minute matters.
How Aneurysms Are Diagnosed:
Because most unruptured aneurysms cause no symptoms, they're often found by accident during imaging done for an unrelated reason,
like a headache workup or a sinus scan. When an aneurysm is suspected, doctors typically rely on one or more of these tools:
CT (computed tomography) scan — often the first test used in an emergency, especially to check for bleeding after a suspected
rupture.
CT angiography (CTA) — a CT scan combined with contrast dye to get a detailed view of the blood vessels in the brain.
MRI and MR angiography (MRA) — provides detailed, radiation-free imaging of the brain and blood vessels, often used for
monitoring known aneurysms over time.
Cerebral angiogram — considered the most detailed test, performed by threading a catheter through the blood vessels to inject
contrast dye directly, giving neurosurgeons a precise picture of the aneurysm's size, shape, and neck.
Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) — sometimes used if a rupture is suspected but a CT scan doesn't show clear signs of bleeding
Treatment Options:
Not every aneurysm needs immediate treatment. For small, unruptured aneurysms with low estimated rupture risk, doctors may recommend regular monitoring through imaging along with strict blood pressure control and smoking cessation. When treatment is recommended, it generally falls into one of a few categories:
Treatment decisions are highly individualized, weighing the aneurysm's size, shape, and location against the patient's age, health, and personal risk tolerance. This is a conversation best had with a neurosurgeon or neuro interventional list who can walk through the specific options for a specific aneurysm.
Life After Diagnosis or Rupture:
Outcomes vary enormously depending on whether an aneurysm ruptured, how quickly treatment was received, and its size and location. A
few things are broadly true:
Unruptured and successfully treated aneurysms often allow people to return to a full, normal life, though follow-up imaging is typically recommended to confirm the treatment holds over time.
Survivors of a ruptured aneurysm may face a recovery process that includes physical, occupational, or speech therapy, particularly if the hemorrhage caused a stroke-like injury.
Common longer-term effects can include fatigue, headaches, memory or concentration difficulties, and mood changes — many of which improve with time and rehabilitation, though some people live with lasting deficits.
Emotional recovery matters as much as physical recovery. Many survivors and families find peer support groups valuable for processing the experience.
Know Your Risk Factors:
Some risk factors can't be controlled, but others can be managed:
High blood pressure (hypertension) — one of the biggest modifiable risk factors
Smoking
Heavy alcohol use
Drug use, particularly cocaine and other stimulants
Family history of brain aneurysms
Traumatic head injury
If you have a family history of aneurysms or multiple risk factors, it's worth having a direct conversation with your doctor about whether screening makes sense for you.
Myths vs. Facts:
Why Awareness Actually Saves Lives:
Early detection changes outcomes. When an aneurysm is caught before it ruptures, doctors have options — from careful monitoring to minimally invasive procedures — that can prevent a rupture from ever happening. But because symptoms are often absent or vague,
aneurysms are sometimes missed or misdiagnosed even when patients do seek care.
That's the whole point of this month: the more people who understand the symptoms and risk factors, the more likely someone is to get help in time — for themselves or for someone they love.
How You Can Get Involved:
Share this information with friends and family, especially anyone with a family history of aneurysms or stroke.
Know your blood pressure numbers and manage them through diet, exercise, or medication if needed.
Support research and advocacy organizations, such as the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, that fund research and support survivors and their families.
Wear or share the awareness color — purple is widely used to represent brain aneurysm awareness.
Talk to your doctor if you have risk factors or a family history, even if you feel fine.
Join or host a local walk or fundraiser during September — many awareness organizations run signature 5Ks and community events this month.
How Blessed Family Care Can Help
At Blessed Family Care & Mental Wellness, we offer compassionate, personalized care for individuals experiencing stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression. Our team provides psychiatric evaluations, medication management, psychotherapy, and evidence-based tools to help you rebuild balance and resilience. Telehealth appointments are available for your convenience. You don't have to wait until you're running on empty. Call us at 908-777-1617 or visit blessedfamilycare.org to schedule your appointment today.
Works Cited
Maslach, Christina, and Michael P. Leiter. The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and What to Do About It. Jossey-Bass, 1997.
World Health Organization. "Burn-Out an 'Occupational Phenomenon': International Classification of Diseases." World Health Organization, 28 May 2019, www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases.
National Institute of Mental Health. "Caring for Your Mental Health." National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health.
Salvagioni, Denise Albieri Jodas, et al. "Physical, Psychological and Occupational Consequences of Job Burnout: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies." PLOS ONE, vol. 12, no. 10, 2017, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0185781.
American Psychological Association. "Stress Effects on the Body." American Psychological Association, 1 Nov. 2018, www.apa.org/topics/stress/body.
Walker, Matthew. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner, 2017.
Comments