The American reality star discovered her condition when she went for a brain imaging scan
Kim Kardashian revealed in a preview clip of The Kardashians’ latest season that she underwent a brain imaging scan which revealed a “little” brain aneurysm. She added in the short video: “They’re like; ‘Just stress’. People think I have the luxury of walking away.”
A brain aneurysm happens when a blood vessel in the brain becomes weak and starts bulging under pressure. Around 3% of UK adults are believed to be living with a brain aneurysm, most of which are small and pose no immediate threat.
However, if a brain aneurysm ruptures, it can cause bleeding in the brain and spiral into a medical emergency known as a hemorrhagic stroke. This needs immediate treatment or it can be fatal.
Details about Kim’s current condition are unclear. It also hasn’t been revealed if she was experiencing any symptoms before the imaging scan, as it’s common to not even notice you have an aneurysm.
Most small aneurysms don’t cause symptoms and are usually found during testing for other conditions or ailments. Larger aneurysms can trigger a variety of issues that could easily be mistaken for minor issues.
Symptoms of a large aneurysm:
- A headache
- Pain above or around your eye
- Changes in your vision, such as double vision
- Dizziness and balance problems
- Numbness or weakness on 1 side of your face
- Difficulty concentrating and speaking
- Problems with your short-term memory
If a brain aneurysm bursts, the main symptom is known as a thunderclap headache. This headache is severe and unlike normal headaches that gradually worsen without treatment, it reaches peak intensity within a minute or so of starting.
The NHS advises calling 999 if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- A thunderclap headache that’s extremely painful and does not go away
- Weakness in the face
- Weakness or numbness in 1 arm or down 1 side of the body
- Speech problems
- Blurred vision or loss of sight in 1 or both eyes
People experiencing a brain aneurysm may find that one side of their face starts to droop, making it hard to smile, or it becomes difficult to lift both arms fully and keep them there. They may also start slurring words, sounding confused or struggling to speak and find the right words.
It’s not always clear what causes a brain aneurysm, but certain factors like stress, high blood pressure smoking and drugs like cocaine can increase your chances of having an aneurysm.
Small aneurysms usually don’t need treatment, provided they are not causing symptoms, as they usually don’t get bigger and have a low risk of bursting, according to the NHS. However, you may need regular follow-up scans to monitor it.
If there’s a risk of the aneurysm bursting, or if it has already burst, you’ll need to be treated surgically. There are two main types of surgery used to treat this condition, one of which attaches a small metal clip to the affected blood vessel, thereby stopping blood flow into the aneurysm.
The second surgery places a coil or small piece of wire mesh inside the aneurysm. This slows the flow of blood into it and helps to form a blood clot.