Read the Auto From My Heart Is Bursting
Aortic aneurysm
An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the body'south largest artery (the aorta). Read about the causes, symptoms and the treatment of an aortic aneurysm.
The aorta is the principal pipe which takes oxygen-rich claret from your heart to the balance of your body. It is the largest avenue in your trunk.
What is an aortic aneurysm?
Sometimes a section of the aorta wall is damaged or weakened. This tin crusade it to bulge or cracking, a bit similar a airship. This is an aortic aneurysm.
Usually this burl occurs in the lower part of your aorta, which runs through your belly (tummy). This is an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
In a quarter of cases, the burl occurs in the upper part of your part of your aorta, which runs through your breast. This is a thoracic aortic aneurysm.
Occasionally people have both kinds of aortic aneurysm at the same time.
Aortic aneurysms are relatively common, especially as people get older. They are present in upward to 10% of older men and 1–2% of older women. In New Zealand they crusade approximately 350 deaths a year.
Aortic aneurysm complications
When an aortic aneurysm is small it doesn't ordinarily cause issues, merely when it grows too big it can be very dangerous. It can crusade:
- a tear in the lining of the aorta (aortic dissection) or
- the aorta to burst (aortic rupture).
Both of these weather are life-threatening and have to be treated with emergency surgery. The expert news is that an aortic aneurysm tin be monitored by your cardiologist and repaired earlier information technology causes complications.
Causes and run a risk factors
Doctors don't know why aneurysms occur in some people and non others. Even so there are a number of things that increment your take chances of having ane.
- Smoking
- High claret pressure level
- High cholesterol
- Coronary artery disease
- Historic period – aortic aneurysms are most mutual people over lx
- Gender – they're more common in men
- Ethnicity – Māori and Pacific people have an increased run a risk of aortic aneurysm, and are likely to get them at a younger age
- Family history – if someone in your family unit has had an aortic aneurysm, you lot're more at risk of having 1 yourself
- Injury from a trauma, like being in a car accident
- Sure inherited or congenital heart weather, such equally Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome
How can I manage my risk of aortic aneurysm?
You can't alter things like your age or gender, simply there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of an aortic aneurysm, such equally:
- quitting smoking
- maintaining a salubrious weight
- managing high blood pressure.
What are the symptoms?
You might non know if yous accept an aortic aneurysm. Often there are no symptoms, especially if the aneurysm is minor.
Some people feel symptoms as the aneurysm gets bigger. The symptoms differ slightly depending on whether information technology is a thoracic aortic aneurysm or an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Symptoms of a thoracic aortic aneurysm include:
- tenderness or pain in the breast
- dorsum pain
- hoarseness
- coughing
- shortness of breath.
Symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm include:
- deep pain in your abdomen or the side of your abdomen
- back or groin pain
- pulsing feeling almost your omphalos.
If y'all experience these symptoms, y'all should contact your GP.
Ruptured aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection:
If an aneurysm ruptures or causes an aortic dissection, you may feel a sudden onset of severe symptoms including:
- sudden astringent breast or upper back pain, sometimes described as a fierce or ripping feeling
- severe abdominal hurting
- loss of consciousness
- breathlessness
- fainting or dizziness
- trouble talking or a croaky voice
- loss of vision
- weakness or paralysis on one side of your body (similar to stroke)
- weak pulse in one arm compared to the other.
In this case you should call 111 immediately. Do not drive yourself to infirmary.
How is an aortic aneurysm diagnosed?
People who don't have symptoms usually don't know they have an aortic aneurysm. Ofttimes information technology'south discovered during tests or treatments for other medical conditions.
If your md thinks you have an aortic aneurysm, you will need to undergo a few tests to confirm it. These might include:
- an ultrasound
- a CT scan
- an MRI
- a chest Ten ray
- an echocardiogram.
Aortic aneurysm treatment
Handling for an aortic aneurysm depends on a number of factors, including:
- the size of the aneurysm
- how quickly information technology is getting bigger
- where information technology is situated in the aorta
- your age and general health.
Once you've been diagnosed, a specialist will monitor your condition.
If the aneurysm is small and not causing any symptoms, your dr. will probably merely monitor it with regular scans.
You may also be prescribed heart medication to lower your claret pressure and cholesterol levels to minimise whatever complications from your aneurysm.
When the risk of the aneurysm bursting becomes greater than the risk of surgery, your dr. will normally recommend that you have it repaired.
Surgery to treat an aortic aneurysm
Open up surgical repair
This surgery is done in hospital under a general anaesthetic, so you will be asleep during the process and y'all won't feel pain.
A cut is fabricated in the abdomen or chest and the aneurysm is repaired using a synthetic patch or graft.
You lot volition probably be in intensive care for a couple of days, followed by some other calendar week or so in infirmary.
Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)
An endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is also called an endovascular stent graft.
For this procedure you don't need large cuts to your belly or chest. Instead a small cut is made in your groin and a stent graft, like a pocket-sized pipage, is inserted via a tube (catheter) in an artery. The catheter is removed from the aorta, and the stent graft is inflated. The graft fits within the aneurysm, allowing blood period freely through the aorta.
For this process, yous'll be given a local anaesthetic and a sedative. This means yous'll exist awake just sleepy throughout and you shouldn't feel any hurting.
The procedure usually takes two or three hours and is carried out by a doctor in a hospital. You will unremarkably stay in hospital for a day or two afterwards. Full recovery should take effectually a month.
This surgery isn't suitable for all aneurysms. Your medical team will talk with you virtually which process is best for you lot.
Recovery from treatment
Information technology is normal to experience tired and sore after surgery and it's important y'all give yourself time to recover fully, both physically and emotionally.
If y'all've had open up heart surgery, yous will probably be able to resume most of your normal activities after four to vi weeks. However, it will probably be ii or three months before you're fully recovered. The recovery period will be shorter if y'all've had an endovascular repair.
Talk to your medical squad nearly specific communication for your recovery, and things like when you lot can drive, and when you're ok to have sex.
What's it similar to have an aortic aneurysm?
Finding out yous've got an aortic aneurysm can be frightening. If doctors are monitoring your aneurysm, y'all may experience worried nigh the risk information technology poses to your health. If you lot've had surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, you may exist wondering when you'll exist back to normal.
Don't be surprised if you experience a broad range of emotions after your diagnosis or surgery. Some people feel lamentable, angry or very emotional after a middle process. This is quite normal, but if it lasts for longer than half-dozen weeks, it'due south a good idea to mention it to your doctor.
If doctors are monitoring your aneurysm, there are some lifestyle changes you tin make to wearisome the speed at which it gets bigger. These changes will besides keep you healthy for surgery and recovery. These include:
- quitting smoking
- taking your medication as prescribed
- beingness physically active
- reducing your booze intake to 1-ii drinks a solar day maximum
- reducing your sodium intake
- adopting a middle-healthy diet.
You may observe it useful to hear from other people living with an aortic aneurysm or who've had an aortic autopsy. You can read personal stories from people living with heart weather condition on our Journeys folio.
Hear from others with an aortic aneurysmRead about aortic dissections
Source: https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/your-heart/heart-conditions/aortic-aneurysm
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