Question 1

been having on again off again headaches for a few weeks worried this is a brain tumor my father had an aneurysm headaches are during the day i also have been experiencing dizzy spells but they also come and go would the pain subside or be constant?

Accepted Answer

Headache worried. : All would be possibility.  Discuss with your team.

Question 2

brain aneurysm or headache how can i tell?

Accepted Answer

Aneurysm: Aneurysm rare, headache common. Only a proper neurologic workup can be certain of an aneurysm that never ruptured but is the source of the headache.

Question 3

i has been 14 years since cerebral aneurysm repair, having headaches x2 weeks, can this be derived from the aneurysm site?

Accepted Answer

Depends on aneurysm: If the aneurysm has been secured and you have a post-fixation angiogram that shows good obliteration, then this is unlikely to be the cause. However, the technology for visualizing has improved significantly in the last 14 years. You should consult a neurosurgeon to make certain there are no new "daughter" aneurysms that have developed near the original one.

Question 4

frequent headaches, neck pain and dizziness had a normal ct scan a few months ago. worried about aneurysms. should my headaches be further looked into?

Accepted Answer

? something else: If you have a negative ct scan, and still have headaches and neck pain i would suggest you  to look for other causes. Migraine headache is one of the other common conditions. If you don't have a family history of aneurysm and work up is negative, may be normal variant of headaches  but if you have a family history and symptoms persist, you  may need an MRI of brain.

Question 5

can a symptomatic unruptured brain aneurysm stop showing symptoms headache symptoms and only show sinus symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Unlikely: There's no typical pathway between an aneurysm and a sinus

Question 6

if i had two normal ct without contrast come back clear in the last month, an i safe from tumor or aneurysm? still having horrible headaches on right

Accepted Answer

Imaging: A CT is a good test and if negative, it is unlikely you have any significant headache. However, I would strongly suggest having a visit with your doctor or with a neurologist. You can start by talking to one of us!

Question 7

will a normal ct scan show unruptured aneurysms i had bad headaches yesterday and went to the er and had a cat scan done. i want to know if ct scan can detect unruptured aneurysms without dye.

Accepted Answer

I : I can't make any comment about your headache or its causes, but can try to help with your question "will a normal ct scan show unruptured aneurysms?"

a ct (or computerized tomography) scan is a study that uses x-rays and incredibly complicated calculations to make virtual slices of the brain or other body parts.  The slices look like grainy black and white photographs (which aren't really just black and white, but many shades of gray). Like in regular x-ray images, the degree of brightness of a tissue has to do with how well it blocks the x-rays.  Bones are bright white, while lungs (which are mostly air) are darker.   It turns out that quickly-moving blood (like the blood that is traveling in the major arteries that feed the brain) is pretty dark compared to the surrounding skull (white) and brain tissue (shades of gray).  Blood that isn't moving any more, most often because it has leaked out of the blood vessels, is usually as bright or brighter than the nearby brain tissue.  The difference is usually pretty noticeable to trained eyes, and that's why a plain ct scan is very useful in medical emergencies when it is important to quickly and reliably detect blood that has left the blood vessels (a hemorrhage).

There are several types of hemorrhages that can occur in or around the brain.  One type, bleeding next to the surface of the brain, called a subarachnoid hemorrhage, can be caused by blood leaking from a weakened section of blood vessel, often from what is called a ruptured aneurysm.  Subarachnoid hemorrhage accounts for 10% or less of all patients who come to the emergency room and report a "worst headache ever."  by comparison, the consequences of subarachnoid hemorrhage are serious:  up to 50% of patients die.  So, doctors want to accurately detect every case of subarachnoid hemorrhage they can.

It turns out that a plain ct scan, without contrast, on a modern ct scanner can detect 97% or more of all subarachnoid hemorrhages if done within the first 12 hours of onset.  Additional tests, such as a spinal tap (also known as a lumbar puncture), can boost that number even more.

It is important not to get confused about one fact: all this testing is looking for leaked blood.  Leaked blood is considered to be pretty good circumstantial evidence of an aneurysm (or other blood vessel abnormality), but it is not absolute proof.

To actually see an aneurysm (ruptured or unruptured... Or other blood vessel abnormality) requires different tests.  These tests involve taking pictures of the blood vessels themselves.  The absolute best way to do this is by a surgical procedure called angiography or arteriography, in which the doctor inserts a long tube into an artery near your groin or shoulder, and threads it up to the arteries that feed your brain.  Dye is injected from the tube into the artery, and digitized x-ray video pictures are taken as the dye passes through the artery.  Nonsurgical alternatives include angiograms done on a ct scanner or MRI scanner.  These also use dye.

Not all of these tests are available everywhere.  Most hospitals have a ct scanner, but not all have ct scanners that can do angiograms.  Even fewer hospitals have an MRI scanner, and only major hospitals have doctors who do surgical angiograms.

All of these tests involve risk, which can sometimes be substantial.  Plain ct scans without dye pack a lot of radiation.  Ct scans with dye and ct angiograms pack even more radiation, and then there is the risk of the dye itself. The key is to weigh the risk of missing an aneurysm against the risk of doing "just one more" test to find it.

Question 8

would a brain aneurysm cause pain above my eye when i touch? also its sensitive. 
im awaiting a mra to determine if ny headaches are aneurysm.

Accepted Answer

Aneurysm unlikely: Pain with palpation above the eye  or pain around the eyes is more commonly seen with sinus pressure or sinusitis or migraine, whereas, most aneurysms do not give local pain.  Stress headaches also often occur in the forehead and temples.  Hopefully your MRA will alleviate your concerns.

Question 9

have neurology appointment the 27th. had a ct without contrast 8 months ago that showed nothing. should i visit er to get contrast ct worried about aneurysm. have nausea, mild headache. great great grandmother died from an aneurysm ?

Accepted Answer

ER is for emergency: The question is, "What is your emergency?"  The ER is for treating emergencies and then discharging patients home to be evaluated by their primary care or specialist doctors, or transferring patients into the hospital for intensive care, surgery, etc...  Every person will have nausea and mild headache at one time or another (it is universal). But, if you have an emergency, see a doctor right away.

Question 10

what to do if i have headache intermittent pain one side.aneurysm?

Accepted Answer

Maybe: Aneurysm is possible but migraine is more likely. One is rare (aneurysm) and the other is common (migraine). Both cause unilateral, throbbing headache. If you are female, migraine is more likely, If it cycles with the time of month, migraine is more likely, If light hurts your eyes, migraine is more likely. If there's nausea,= migraine. If this is a brand new symptom, migraine is less likely.

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Doctor answers about:

Aneurysm headache

A member asked:

Been having on again off again headaches for a few weeks worried this is a brain tumor my father had an aneurysm headaches are during the day i also have been experiencing dizzy spells but they also come and go would the pain subside or be constant?

A member asked:

Brain aneurysm or headache how can i tell?

A member asked:

I has been 14 years since cerebral aneurysm repair, having headaches x2 weeks, can this be derived from the aneurysm site?

A member asked:

Frequent headaches, neck pain and dizziness had a normal ct scan a few months ago. worried about aneurysms. should my headaches be further looked into?

A member asked:

Can a symptomatic unruptured brain aneurysm stop showing symptoms headache symptoms and only show sinus symptoms?

A member asked:

If i had two normal ct without contrast come back clear in the last month, an i safe from tumor or aneurysm? still having horrible headaches on right

A member asked:

Will a normal ct scan show unruptured aneurysms i had bad headaches yesterday and went to the er and had a cat scan done. i want to know if ct scan can detect unruptured aneurysms without dye.

A member asked:

Would a brain aneurysm cause pain above my eye when i touch? also its sensitive. im awaiting a mra to determine if ny headaches are aneurysm.

A member asked:

Have neurology appointment the 27th. had a ct without contrast 8 months ago that showed nothing. should i visit er to get contrast ct worried about aneurysm. have nausea, mild headache. great great grandmother died from an aneurysm ?

A member asked:

What to do if i have headache intermittent pain one side.aneurysm?

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