Dr. L P Sharma

What is Aortic aneurysm?
The heart is the most important muscle in your body, and its primary job is to pump the blood across. The aorta is the largest blood vessel of the human body and is used by the heart to push the blood along. The Aorta is also one of the strongest vessels, but in some cases, due to the wear and tear condition the walls can weaken and bulge in what is called an aortic aneurysm. This can cause a rupture of the vessels as a result of which, blood gets leaked into the body.

Types of Aortic aneurysm:
There are two known types of aortic aneurysms. One of which is located in the chest and is known as the thoracic aortic aneurysm, and the one which forms in the abdomen is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm
There are many causes of the Thoracic aortic aneurysm. Genes play a significant role in increasing the chances. The other factors can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, infections and blockages in the arteries. Sometimes a traumatic injury due to an accident can also lead to the condition. The biggest disadvantage of the disease is that the symptoms do not occur in the early stages and only in their chronic stages they appear. Some of the symptoms include chest or back pain, difficulty in breathing, shortness of a breath and persistent cough. Diagnosis can be made by an X-ray, CT scan, and ultrasound. Medications can help to an extent in relieving the pain and symptoms but however, in some extreme cases surgery is required. During the surgery, a synthetic tube replaces the damaged artery- as a result of which the blood gets channelled without any hindrances.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm
In the case of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, the aorta that passes through your abdomen gets damaged. As in the event of the Thoracic aortic aneurysm, there are no visible symptoms initially. Symptoms if they appear can include a deep back pain and persistent pain the side of the abdomen. Dizziness and weightlessness can also be other factors. Once again as in the case of the Thoracic aortic aneurysm, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels can be the risk factors. The problem also gets aggravated when the person is a frequent smoker and drinker. The diagnosis can happen through an X-ray, CT scan or an ultrasound. Once diagnosed, medications can heal the symptoms to an extent. Routine checkups are usually done to check the condition. In the cases where the bulge is bigger, surgeries are done to relieve the damaged part.

As with many cases, a good lifestyle change and healthy habits can keep many of the conditions in check. The same goes for an aortic aneurysm too. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.