Here are the symptoms, causes, and risk factors of abdominal aortic aneurysm
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) – This condition happens when there is a blood-filled bulge or ballooning in a part of your aorta that runs through your abdomen.
Aorta is the major blood vessel of the body and it runs from the heart to the abdomen where it divides to provide blood to your legs. When the bulge becomes weaker over time, this can lead to severe pain or massive internal bleeding (hemorrhage), based on the article from Medtronic.
SYMPTOMS
According to the article, this condition does not really have specific symptoms. The aneurysm often grows slowly and it is unnoticeable while in some cases it becomes large quickly but not to the point of bursting.
A throbbing in the middle or lower part of your stomach, lower back pain, or tenderness in your chest might be experienced by the person whose abdominal aneurysm expanded. In most cases, doctors notice this condition during routine medical exams.
CAUSES
A weakness in the wall of the aorta where it has become inflamed may cause the ballooning. However, there are no exact causes of why this condition happens to some people. Based on the article, medical practitioners believe that inflammation may be due to clogged arteries (atherosclerosis). Other factors that they are considering are heredity, injury, or other diseases.
RISK FACTORS
- Individuals over 50
- Smoking or a history of smoking
- Clogged arteries (atherosclerosis)
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Family history (genetic factors)
- High cholesterol (hypercholesteremia)
Imaging of your abdomen using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT), and ultrasound imaging are the ways in diagnosing an abdominal aortic aneurysm, based on the article. This condition can be fatal once it ruptured but by knowing the risk factors, the health danger might be eliminated.
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