57-year-old Linda Inglett was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm in December 2006. She went to an ENT in Savannah because she was having trouble with her vocal cords.

After running test Dr. Fred Daniel told Linda that she needed to get to the hospital because she had a possible brain aneurysm. Turns out Dr. Daniel was right and it’s amazing that he caught the BA by accident. Dr. Jay Howington of St. Joseph’s/Candler peformed a procedure called Edovascular Embolization (platinum coils and stents were inserted in Linda’s brain). She survived the ordeal. If the aneurysm had ruptured, she may have been debilitated and left in a nursing home for the rest of her life, or worse - she could have died.

A brain aneurysm is a bulge in an artery in your brain. The most common type of brain aneurysm looks like a round berry — attached to your artery by a tiny neck. As long as the aneurysm is small and doesn't rupture, it poses little risk to your health. Such aneurysms may go undetected indefinitely and produce no signs or symptoms.

But some brain aneurysms are large enough to put pressure on surrounding brain tissue. Others may rupture at a weak spot in the artery wall, flooding an area of your brain with blood. A ruptured aneurysm may quickly become life-threatening and requires prompt medical attention.

In the United States, between 2 percent and 5 percent of the population — up to 15 million people — have or will have berry-type (saccular) brain aneurysms. But fewer than 30,000 of these aneurysms rupture each year. Most aneurysms, particularly small ones, don't rupture.

People of all ages can have a brain aneurysm, but they're more common in adults than children. Women are slightly more likely to develop an aneurysm than men are. How serious an aneurysm is depends on its size and location and on your age and health. Small unruptured aneurysms are often best left alone, though treatments are available for larger aneurysms.

FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION...

VISIT: http://www.mayoclinic.com/

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS:

An unruptured brain aneurysm may produce no symptoms, particularly if it's small. However, a large aneurysm may press on brain tissues and nerves, possibly causing:

Pain above and behind the eye
Numbness, weakness or paralysis of one side of the face
A dilated pupil
Vision changes, including double vision
Drooping of an eyelid

IF AN ANEURYSM ERUPTS THESE MAY BE THE SIGNS & SYMPTOMS:

Sudden, extremely severe headache
Nausea and vomiting
Stiff neck
Double vision
Loss of consciousness

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE:

A ruptured aneurysm is generally considered a medical emergency. About 40 percent of the people whose aneurysm has burst don't survive the first 24 hours. Another 25 percent die of complications within six months.

Seek immediate medical attention if you develop a sudden, extremely severe headache — particularly if it's accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

If you're with someone who complains of a sudden, severe headache or who loses consciousness or has a seizure, call 911 or emergency medical help and get the person to a doctor immediately.