Know the warning signs of the silent killer

Women over 40 have a higher risk of developing a brain aneurysm, so are being urged to look after their vascular health

WE are l i ving in worrying times since the beginning of 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to change our lives in unprecdented ways. But the health impact of Covid-19 is not limited to illness as a direct result of infection with Covid-19.

Worryingly, there is a risk of people not attending their GP with unusual symptoms as many people don’t what to bother the doctor with something that isn’t Covid-related, or are simply too busy trying to keep their families safe and healthy to look after their own needs.

But ahead of World Stroke Day this Thursday Dublin GP Dr Eleanor Galvin, says people — in particular women over 40 — need to pay more attention to their vascular health in these highly stressful times.

‘The pressure of the ongoing pandemic is a worrying risk factor for all of us, especially when it comes to our mental health. However women in their forties and older are also at a higher risk of developing something like a brain aneurysm and stroke,’ says Dr Galvin, who specialises in women’s health. This risk of vascular disease increases for women in or around the menopausal period, and this is not helped by what Dr Galvin refers to as the ‘perfect storm’ created by the worldwide pandemic.

‘The added stress of juggling a more complex home life along with financial worries can cause i ncreased blood pressure f or women at a time when decreasing oestrogen levels reduces the elasticity of our vascular tissue,’ saysDr Galvin. ‘Pandemic pressure combined with other lifestyle factors such as reduced exercise, comfort eating, increased alcohol consumption at home and smoking, could create an environment for a brain aneurysm to develop or BRAIN rupture.’

aneurysms are sometimes called the silent killer, because very often you don’t know you have one until it has ruptured, developing into a potentially lifethreatening situation. The warning signs like severe headache and blurred vision may be passed off as symptoms of other less dangerous illnesses.

Many brain aneurysms are detected when having medical scans for other ailments since they show up on an MRI scan. Some people will choose to get screened regularly for a brain aneurysm if there is a history of occurrence in the family.

‘In Covid focused times, it is important that we continue to screen patients and help raise the awareness of the signs of a brain aneurysm to ensure early detection and treatment,’ says Dr. Galvin. ‘It’s also important to remember that a brain aneurysm may produce no symptoms, especially if it is small. However there may be some warning signs of a large unruptured brain aneurysm if it presses on brain tissues or nerves.’

The symptoms you should not ignore include:

÷ Frequent severe localised headaches ÷ Double or blurred vision ÷ Pain above or behind the eye and peripheral vision loss

Difficulty concentrating or processing information

Short term memory problems

Loss of balance or co-ordination

Fatigue ‘A ruptured brain aneurysm will make you very ill very quickly, usually producing a sudden severe headache, numbness or weakness in your body, a difficulty speaking or confusion, nausea and vomiting, a stiff neck, or seizure.

Time is of the essence when a bleed in your brain occurs in order to have the best chance of survival and to make a full recovery,’ says

Dr Galvin. According to Dr. Galvin, these are the key factors putting women over 40 at a higher risk of developing a brain aneurysm.

Women over 40 are 70% more likely to develop a brain aneurysm than men, due to lower oestrogen h o r mone levels after the menopause

Increased stress can cause increased blood pressure and puts you a greater risk.

We may joke about wine o’clock, but reports suggest that women in Ireland are drinking more regularly at home and have increased their alcohol in a bid to cope with the pressure of the pandemic. High a l c ohol c onsumption increases risk.

Women’s increased incidence of anxiety and depression as a result of the pandemic has caused an increase in unhealthy food choices and excess weight gain or ‘the Covid-19lbs’, putting increased pressure on blood flow and therefore at greater risk of developing a brain aneurysm.

The reduced ability to exercise during COVID restrictions on gyms and fitness classes has prevented many women from maintaining a healthy level of physical exercise, putting them at greater risk of developing a brain aneurysm.

However, sudden vigorous exercise to l ose the ‘ Covid- belly’ increases your risk of rupturing an undetected aneurysm by 250%.

Not all brain aneurysms need treatment, smaller ones may be monitored for a time instead. While ‘coiling’ — essentially filling the aneurysm with material that closes off the sac and reduces the risk of bleeding — represents around 70% of all procedures today, other technologies have evolved over the last 15 years.

The latest advancement in this space has been the development of the Contour device, designed by Dr Stephen Griffin from Co Tipperary.

Dr Griffin moved to the US over 20 years ago and is now president and CEO of Cerus Endovascular, a medical device company based in WHILE Silicon Valley, California.

the traditional method of coiling has been compared to an art form by neuroradiologists who over many years have come to know the size and number of coils to insert into the dome of an aneurysm, the Contour device has been heralded as the ‘one and done’ easy method by doctors who have used this new technology worldwide.

The procedure is fast with most cases being done in under 20 minutes.

To date, clinical studies show the Contour device to deliver excellent clinical results compared to other devices in its class and is now a treatment option f or patients in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin and Cork University Hospital.

Dr Alan O’Hare, consultant neuro-radiologist at Beaumont Hospital says: ‘I have used a minimally invasive approach to treat brain aneurysms for many years. Although this method is now how the majority of brain aneurysms are treated, it is not suitable for all aneurysms or all patients. The recent arrival of the Contour device allows us to treat, in a quick, safe and efficacious way aneurysms that would otherwise require open brain surgery or multiple repeat coiling treatments.’

SEE irish heart.ie, family doctors.ie and cerusendo.com