Symptoms of brain aneurysm: Double vision, weakness, persistent headaches and more

What is brain aneurysm: A brain aneurysm is essentially a weakness in the wall of a brain blood vessel that causes it to bulge out (Image: Canva)

Many people dismiss headaches as routine, but when a brain aneurysm is involved, ignoring symptoms can be dangerous. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), small aneurysms often remain asymptomatic, but larger or growing aneurysms may press on adjacent brain tissues or nerves. This pressure can cause pain above and behind the eye, numbness, weakness, or persistent headaches.

The NINDS informs that the unruptured brain aneurysms can sometimes cause symptoms if they grow large enough to press on surrounding brain tissue or nerves. These symptoms may include pain above and behind the eye, blurred or double vision, numbness, weakness, or persistent headaches.

“While most symptoms remain unnoticed, a sudden rupture can become a life-threatening emergency,” says Dr Swaroop Gopal, Group Director, Aster International Institute of Neurosciences and Spine Care, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru.

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“A brain aneurysm is essentially a weakness in the wall of a brain blood vessel that causes it to bulge out. This outpouching can grow over time and in many cases remains silent, causing no noticeable symptoms. However, when it ruptures, it can lead to bleeding in the brain, known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The most common and alarming symptom patients report is a sudden, severe headache, often described as the worst headache of their life,” adds Dr Gopal.

Other warning signs, he says, include nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, fainting, difficulty speaking, or seizures.

Dr Gopal shares 6 warning signs that may point to a brain aneurysm:

• Sudden severe headache: A headache that appears suddenly, feels extremely intense, and differs from past headaches should never be ignored, as it may signal an aneurysm rupture.

• Vision problems: Blurred vision, double vision, or sudden loss of vision in one eye could occur if the aneurysm presses on nerves responsible for eye movement and sight.

• Neck stiffness: Neck pain or stiffness, especially when combined with headache and nausea, can point towards bleeding in the brain and needs urgent evaluation.

• Speech or weakness issues: Slurred speech, difficulty speaking, weakness in limbs, or drooping on one side of the face could mimic stroke symptoms caused by a brain aneurysm.

• Sudden confusion or fainting: Feeling suddenly disoriented, confused, or losing consciousness unexpectedly alongside a headache may indicate increased pressure inside the brain from bleeding.

• Seizures: A seizure in someone with no prior history, especially following a sudden headache, could be linked to brain irritation from a ruptured aneurysm.