Strokes and brain aneurysms are serious. Both can cause severe, often fatal, brain damage.
But the two aren’t interchangeable. While both are medical emergencies that need the quickest possible attention, a stroke and an aneurysm are separate incidents. They have unique symptoms and different treatment methods.
Understanding “stroke vs. aneurysm” may seem challenging, but it’s helpful — even life-saving — to know the differences:
Stroke
What it is
A stroke occurs when a clot, activated by high blood pressure or excessive plaque buildup, blocks a blood vessel.
When blood flow is blocked to a part of the brain, it starves the brain tissue of oxygen and kills it (similar to what happens to the heart during a heart attack).
Symptoms
Strokes often begin without warning. Symptoms may come on suddenly and could include:
- Sudden headache
- Loss of certain neurological functions:
- Difficulty talking or thinking
- Unilateral vision loss or numbness on one side of the body
- Dizziness or difficulty with balance
- Weakness or loss of motor control in the limbs
- Inability to control one side of the face
Treatment
You may have heard the phrase “time is brain”: To prevent damage to brain tissue, stroke treatment is time-critical and calls for clot-busting drugs or a clot-retrieval procedure.
If a medical team can treat the clot with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) within 90 minutes of onset, they can typically break it up, restore blood flow, and avoid lasting damage.
Aneurysm
What it is
An aneurysm is a dilation, or bulge, in a blood vessel caused by a weakened artery wall. It can form gradually in people with genetically weak blood vessels or who’ve experienced years of high blood pressure. When the vessel eventually ruptures, it triggers a catastrophic brain bleed, and the patient may lose blood flow to several areas of the brain.
Aneurysms often mimic strokes, so the layperson sometimes confuses the two. However, the issue with an aneurysm isn’t the lack of blood flow — it’s the broken vessel.
Symptoms
Aneurysms are often symptomless… until the blood vessel ruptures.
At that stage, a patient typically experiences severe head pain and, because of the blood’s pressure on the brain, sudden onset of “stroke-like” neurologic symptoms:
- Confusion
- Vision problems
- Loss of balance
Treatment
The brain resides in a fixed space within the skull, and bleeding into that space creates pressure sufficient to kill brain tissue.
As with stroke, speedy treatment is essential. Doctors use a surgical procedure to repair the broken vessel.
Stroke vs. Aneurysm: Are They Preventable?
If you recognize symptoms of a stroke or an aneurysm in yourself or someone else, call 911 and get to the nearest hospital immediately. An emergency team will conduct a physical exam and use imaging to determine whether to treat for stroke vs. aneurysm.
Can patients reduce the risk for — or even prevent — strokes vs. aneurysms? Yes. Lifestyle adjustments can make a difference for both events.
Visit your Priority Physicians doctor for a regular physical at least annually, or more frequently if your physician advises. We’ll help you keep an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol, and any other clotting risks or genetic factors.
We’ll also help you follow a healthy, stroke-preventing lifestyle:
- Incorporate exercise and movement into your daily routine
- Manage stress
- Practice good sleep hygiene
- Emphasize healthy nutrition at every meal
Have questions regarding stroke vs. aneurysm? Family history of either one? Your Priority Physicians will help determine if your risk is high and guide you in addressing it. Give us a call.
