Understand the key differences between strokes and brain aneurysms, including symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options, and know when to seek emergency care.
When it comes to brain health, hearing terms like “stroke” and “aneurysm” can feel overwhelming.
Both conditions affect blood flow in your brain, but they’re different in significant ways.
Think of your brain’s blood vessels like a complex network of pipes. Sometimes, these pipes can become blocked (as happens in many strokes) or develop a weak spot that bulges (as in an aneurysm).
Whether you’re researching for yourself or someone you care about, it’s important to understand the differences and similarities between these two conditions, including warning signs and methods of prevention.
What Happens in Your Brain: Aneurysms vs. Strokes Explained
Your brain needs a constant supply of blood to stay healthy and work properly. Blood vessels deliver oxygen and nutrients to every part of your brain. When something goes wrong with these vessels, it can lead to either a stroke or an aneurysm.
The Cause of a Stroke
A stroke happens when part of your brain suddenly stops getting the blood it needs. This can take place for two reasons:
- A blood vessel becomes blocked (most common)
- A blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain
The Cause of an Aneurysm
An aneurysm happens when a blood vessel in your brain develops a weak spot and bulges outward.
Many people can live with an aneurysm, not knowing they have one. However, if this weak spot breaks open, it causes bleeding in the brain. This can lead to the second most common type of stroke.
Here’s the key difference: A stroke is always an emergency, as blood flow to part of your brain is interrupted. An aneurysm is a weak spot that may not cause problems unless it bursts.
Not all strokes result from aneurysms, but a burst aneurysm will likely cause a stroke.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Aneurysms and Strokes
Knowing the warning signs of both conditions could help save a life. While some symptoms may overlap between aneurysm and stroke, there are important differences.
Stroke Warning Signs: The FAST Method
The easiest way to remember stroke symptoms is to think FAST:
- Face: Does one side of the face droop when smiling?
- Arms: Is there weakness or numbness in one arm?
- Speech: Is speech slurred or hard to understand?
- Time: If you see any of these signs, it’s time to call 911 right away.
Other stroke warning signs include sudden:
- Confusion or trouble understanding speech
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Difficulty walking, dizziness, or loss of balance
- Severe headache with no known cause
Brain Aneurysm Warning Signs
An unruptured aneurysm might cause:
- Pain behind one eye
- A dilated pupil
- Double or blurry vision
- Numbness on one side of the face
If an aneurysm ruptures, warning signs include:
- Sudden, worst headache ever experienced
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stiff neck
- Sensitivity to light
- Sudden confusion
- Loss of consciousness
Key Differences in Symptoms
The main differences to remember are:
- Stroke symptoms typically appear suddenly and often affect one side of the body
- Unruptured aneurysm symptoms usually develop slowly and mainly affect the area around the eyes and face
- A ruptured aneurysm almost always causes a sudden, extremely severe headache that people often describe as “the worst headache ever”
Strokes and ruptured aneurysms are medical emergencies.
If you or someone else shows any of these signs, don’t wait. Call emergency services right away. It’s always better to be safe and get checked than to wait and risk serious complications.
Types of Strokes and Aneurysms
Knowing the different types of strokes and aneurysms can help you better understand the differences, and what happens in the brain.
Ischemic Stroke
An ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to part of your brain is blocked. This prevents brain cells from getting the oxygen they need.
Think of it like a clogged pipe in your home. A blood clot may form inside the vessel, similar to rust building up in a pipe. Or a clot may travel from another part of the body to the brain, like a leaf caught in a drain.
When blood can’t flow through the vessel, brain cells in that area start to die within minutes.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain breaks open and bleeds.
Just like a leaking pipe that floods the surrounding area, the bleeding creates pressure in the brain. Nearby brain cells don’t get the blood they need. This type of stroke often happens when a weak blood vessel breaks or when an aneurysm bursts.
Around 87% of strokes are ischemic, while the other 13% are hemorrhagic.
Brain Aneurysm
A brain aneurysm is a weak spot in a blood vessel that balloons outward and fills with blood. It develops when a section of a blood vessel wall weakens over time. Many people live with aneurysms without problems.
However, if the aneurysm breaks, it causes a hemorrhagic stroke. The bigger the aneurysm grows, the more likely it is to break.
The important thing to remember is that both types of strokes are emergency problems requiring immediate medical attention, while an aneurysm is a condition that may cause problems in the future.
Who is at Risk of Strokes and Aneurysms?
Understanding who may be at risk can help you take steps to protect your brain health. While strokes and aneurysms share some risk factors, each condition also has its own unique risks.
Shared Risk Factors
Several lifestyle and health factors can increase your risk for both conditions. High blood pressure is the biggest shared risk factor, as it puts extra stress on your blood vessels over time.
Other shared risks include:
- Smoking, which damages blood vessels
- Family history of either condition
- Age 50 or older, though both conditions can happen at any age
Unique Risk Factors for Each Condition
Strokes have some specific risk factors that include:
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Blood disorders that make clotting more likely
Brain aneurysms have their own distinct risk factors:
- Women are more likely than men to develop aneurysms, especially after age 50
- Certain genetic conditions that affect blood vessel strength can increase aneurysm risk
- Drug use, particularly cocaine, can make aneurysms more likely to form or burst
Understanding your personal risk factors is important because many of them can be managed with help from your doctor. For example, controlling blood pressure and quitting smoking can significantly lower your risk for both conditions.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
If someone shows signs of having a stroke or aneurysm, doctors must work quickly to determine what’s wrong and start treatment.
How Doctors Diagnose Strokes and Aneurysms
To see what’s happening in your brain, doctors use CT and MRI scans. A CT scan provides views of the brain from different angles. This quickly shows if any bleeding is present. An MRI may be used to provide clearer pictures of the brain.
To get a better look at your blood vessels, doctors might do a test called an angiogram. A special dye is put in your blood vessels that then appears in scans – it is similar to putting food coloring in water to see where it flows.
Treatment a Stroke or Aneurysm
Treatment is dependent on the condition.
For a blocked blood vessel (ischemic stroke), doctors work to get blood flowing again quickly. They often use medicine that helps break up the blockage. Sometimes they need to remove the blockage with special tools that go inside the blood vessel.
For brain bleed (hemorrhagic stroke), doctors focus on stopping the bleeding and lowering pressure in your brain. They might need to do surgery to fix the broken blood vessels.
For an aneurysm that hasn’t burst, doctors have two ways to treat it:
- Place a tiny metal clip to stop blood from flowing into the weak spot
- Fill the weak spot with tiny, soft coils to prevent it from bursting
After treatment, many people need physical and occupational therapy to help them recover. This might include help with:
- Moving and walking
- Speaking and swallowing
- Daily activities like getting dressed
Getting help quickly makes a big difference in recovery. That’s why it’s so important to call 911 right away if you think someone is suffering from a stroke or a burst aneurysm.
Recovery and Outlook for Strokes and Aneurysms
Every person’s recovery journey is different. Knowing what to expect can help you or your loved one prepare for the road ahead.
What to Expect After a Stroke
The first few days after a stroke are focused on getting stable in the hospital. After that, recovery begins. Some people get better quickly, while others need more time. You might notice changes in:
- Moving or walking
- Speaking or understanding words
- Memory or thinking
- Daily tasks like eating or dressing
Many people get stronger and more independent over time, especially with therapy and support. The brain can heal and create new pathways, almost like building new roads around a blocked street.
What to Expect After an Aneurysm
If you had an aneurysm that didn’t burst and was treated, you can usually return to normal activities after healing from your procedure. Your doctor will want to check your brain with regular scans to make sure everything stays healthy.
If an aneurysm bursts, recovery is similar to that of a stroke. The amount of time it takes depends on how much bleeding occurred and which areas of the brain were affected.
Support and Rehabilitation Options
Getting better takes a team of helpers. You might work with:
- Physical therapists who help you move better
- Speech therapists who help with talking and swallowing
- Occupational therapists who help you re-learn daily tasks
- Counselors who help you cope with changes
Family and friends play a big part in recovery, too.
They can help with exercises, getting to appointments, and providing emotional support. Many people also find it helpful to join support groups where they can talk with others who understand the experience.
Remember: Recovery is usually not a straight line – you might have good days and harder days. Small improvements add up over time, and many people continue to get better months after a stroke or aneurysm.
Get You or Your Loved Ones the Help You Need
Looking for help for your loved ones recovering from a stroke or an aneurysm?
NeuroRestorative provides people of all ages with necessary therapy. You or your loved one can continue to thrive with a personalized treatment plan that best caters to individual needs and goals.
Discover more about how we can help today! Call 800-743-6802 or visit at neurorestorative.com.
