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How to Test for Brain Aneurysms

A brain aneurysm is a spot on a brain blood vessel that is thin and fills with blood, causing pressure among nerves and tissue. Such aneurysms can lead to hemorrhaging, where blood continuously leaks into other areas of the brain. Symptoms are usually not noticeable until the blood vessel has burst, but some early signs can include pain around an eye, numbness of the face, dilated pupils and changes in vision. Other signs can include nausea, vomiting and severe headaches. The cause of an aneurysm could be a recent injury or other health issues.

Instructions

  1. How to Test for a Brain Aneurysm

    • 1

      Set up an appointment with a doctor to determine if you have possible signs of a cerebral aneurysm. Then you will go to a specialist and begin tests to determine the state of your brain's blood vessels. It's important to act fast to start these tests if your symptoms are continual and severe.

    • 2

      Have a computerized tomography (CT) scan performed, which is an X-ray to determine whether or not there is bleeding in your brain. The test, for which you may need to drink a dye, will show two sections of your brain, including ruptured areas if they are visible.

    • 3

      Take the cerebrospinal fluid test if you have strong symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm that were not shown in the CT test results. In the cerebrospinal fluid test, fluid is drawn from your spine by a lumbar puncture needle.

    • 4

      Go through the process of taking a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test if other tests have had inconclusive results. You'll need to drink a dye for this test so that radio waves can create an image of your brain to show clearer signs of a ruptured aneurysm.

    • 5

      Have a cerebral angiogram performed if requested by your doctor. For this test, a catheter inserted in your groin travels all the way to your brain so that in-depth X-rays can be taken of your brain's blood vessels. A cerebral angiogram is usually a last resort to test for a brain aneurysm and used if the other tests don't give your doctor enough evidence.

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