September is Brain Aneurysm Awareness month in the United States. I talked to Christine Buckley, Executive Director of The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, about how to be aware of this silent killer.
I’m a huge advocate of creating awareness for brain aneurysms. So much so, that I even have the brain aneurysm awareness ribbon tattooed on the back of my neck. So, with September being brain aneurysm awareness month, I wanted to create awareness and share the facts about this commonly undetected condition.
We sent over some key questions in creating awareness for brain aneurysms to the Executive Director of The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, Christine Buckley. The Brain Aneurysm Foundation (or known as BAF) is a national organization whose mission is to promote early detection of brain aneurysms by providing knowledge and raising awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors.
(Photo provided by Brain Aneurysm Foundation)
Hannah Frogtana: What is a brain aneurysm?
Christine Buckley: A brain aneurysm is a weak bulging spot on the wall of a brain artery very much like a thin balloon or weak spot on an inner tube.
Hannah: How many people in the U.S suffer from a brain aneurysm?
Christine: Brain aneurysms affect up to 3-6% of the population, so this is not rare. This is equivalent to 1 in 50 people.
Hannah: How many people in the U.S pass away from brain aneurysm?
Christine: About 30,000 people a year have a brain aneurysm rupture and approximately 50% of these people will die. But then there are other deaths due from complications of a non-rupture, and other deaths not noted as a death from a brain aneurysm.
Hannah: How many brain aneurysms go undetected?
Christine: About 25% of brain aneurysm go undetected or misdiagnosed, and 73% of these are due to a scan not being performed.
Hannah: What are the warning signs?
Christine: Sudden, severe headache or the worst headache of your life, blurred vision, pain behind the eye, weakness and numbness, change in mental status, localized headache.
Hannah: What are some risk factors? Who is prone to them?
Christine: The biggest risk factors are smoking and hypertension. Brain aneurysm can also run in families. They generally occur in the ages of 35-60, and are more prevalent in women at a ratio of 3:2. But they can occur to anyone at any age, even in children.
Hannah: What can a person do to support BAF (Brain Aneurysm Foundation)?
Christine: Help spread awareness by Rallying Congress to establish September as National Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month. There are 2 resolutions in place now: H. Res 522 and S. Res. 353 – for more info go: http://www.bafound.org/tell-congress-put-brain-aneurysm-awareness-map , Make a donation to support our educational, support and research initiatives at bafound.org/donate . Start an event in your area – we have a fundraising manual to help you do this. Consider joining our Lobbying trip to Washington D.C in May 2015.
Hannah: What can a person do specifically in Southern California to support BAF (Brain Aneurysm Foundation) and brain aneurysm awareness?
Christine: Same as above, but also reach out to your local hospitals with our educational booklets and make sure they have a support group if they do in fact treat brain aneurysms. Here is a list of our support groups : http://www.bafound.org/find-support-groups
For more information on brain aneurysms, go to www.bafound.org.
Early detection is key to saving lives!
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