When you hear that someone died from or suffered a STROKE what is the first thing that comes to your mind? If you answered a blood clot in the brain or heart, you are not alone! When most people hear the word STROKE, they automatically think of a blood clot but did you know that a ruptured brain aneurysm is a type of STROKE?
There are a a few different types of strokes but there are two that are most common. They are:
Ischemic Strokes - This type of stroke occurs when a blood vessel that supplies the brain becomes blocked or "clogged" and impairs blood flow to part of the brain.
Hemorrhagic Strokes - This type of strokes occurs when a blood vessel that supplies the brain ruptures and bleeds. A ruptured brain aneurysm is this type of stroke.
It's important to note that just because you have a brain aneurysm doesn't mean it will rupture. It is estimated that 6.7 million people in the US have an UNRUPTURED brain aneurysm. Of those 6.7 million, approximately 30,000 ruptures occur every year. Of those 30,000 ruptures, approximately 50% or 15,000 are fatal.