Abdominal aortic aneurysm
According to the Society of Vascular Surgeons (SVS), aneurysms occur when a portion of the blood vessel weakens, causing that spot to inflate as blood passes within it.
SVS notes that abdominal aortic aneurysm is what medical professionals call an aneurysm that occurs on the aorta, which serves a similar function to a central highway in a big city. It carries blood directly from the heart with branches to specific regions of the body. As you can imagine, an aneurysm in this location is particularly high risk. Thankfully, abdominal aortic aneurysms take time to develop and are rarely symptomatic until rupture.
A ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is often described as a severe, tearing sensation in the abdomen. Classically the pain radiates through the body towards the back, as if being impaled by a spear. Death can occur quickly.
This condition is strongly associated with males and tobacco users. Knowing this, screening recommendations for abdominal aortic aneurysm are well studied. Thus, your primary care provider can help keep you on track at annual check-ups. A screening test at the appropriate time can be the difference between fixing your aneurysm and dying because of it.
