If someone in your family has had a brain aneurysm, you should be aware of the risk factors associated with aneurysm formation. Brain aneurysms have been found to run in families and one can rupture without presenting any symptoms, many of them causing death in seconds after rupturing. Learning more about the risk factors that can lead to brain aneurysms and about the symptoms of one is extremely important.

Smoking And High Blood Pressure Are Huge Risk Factors

If you smoke, you have probably heard of many health conditions that smoking can cause. However, if you smoke and someone in your family has suffered a brain aneurysm, quitting is a good way to avoid having one form in your brain. An aneurysm is caused by a weak spot in a blood vessel. Over time, the weak spot in a blood vessel can balloon outwards. When you smoke, you are helping to damage the blood vessels and you are also causing your blood pressure to increase. One of the leading causes of brain aneurysm rupture is high blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high, it can cause the walls of your blood vessels to endure more strain. In time, the ballooning blood vessel wall is likely to rupture if strained by high blood pressure.

Using Cocaine Can Increase Your Risk Of Brain Aneurysm

Using cocaine can cause an increase in your heart rate and in your blood pressure. Cocaine has also been found to inflame the walls of blood vessels. Because of these effects of cocaine, it can cause the formation of a brain aneurysm. Any illegal drug that causes your blood pressure and heart rate to increase, like amphetamines, can raise your risk of a brain aneurysm. However, because cocaine also contributes to blood vessel inflammation, it is considered a greater risk factor for the formation of brain aneurysms.

Women That Smoke And Take Birth Control Pills Are At Greater Risk

Women are at higher risk of aneurysm because they are female. If you are female and you smoke, you are greatly increasing your risk of a brain aneurysm, especially if aneurysms in the brain run in your family. In addition to these risk factors, many women take birth control pills. Women that smoke and take birth control have greater chances of succumbing to a stroke. An aneurysm is a hemorrhagic stroke, so smoking and taking birth control is not a good idea if you are already at risk of aneurysm because of your family history.

Taking control of your health is important if you know you are at risk for a serious medical condition because of your family history. If you have had headaches and wonder about the cause, make an appointment with a neurologist to make sure you do not have a brain aneurysm starting to form. You can learn more about brain conditions by going here.