Kim Kardashian Brain Aneurysm Scare: Doctors Reveal Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore

Kim Kardashian opens up about her brain aneurysm diagnosis.

The Skims founder, 45, announced in a preview clip from the seventh season of Hulu’s “The Kardashians” that her doctors discovered the condition during an MRI and told her family, “There was a small aneurysm.”

The cause has not been identified, but Kardashian’s doctors thought it could be stress.

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What is an aneurysm?

According to the Mayo Clinic, a brain aneurysm is the dilation of a blood vessel in the brain, which can leak or rupture and cause bleeding.

Dr. Adam Arthur, chair of neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee, described an aneurysm as a weakness in the wall of an artery, like a small water balloon that forms from a hose.

This is known as a hemorrhagic stroke, which can be life-altering and even fatal. Most aneurysms are small and are not serious if they do not rupture.

In an interview with News Digital, Arthur, who is also chief medical officer of Medtronic Neurovascular, a California company that makes medical devices that help treat aneurysms, noted that brain aneurysms are much more common in women.

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This most likely has to do with genetics, although “there are a lot of things about the brain and genetics that we don’t understand,” Arthur said.

Aneurysms are present in up to one in 50 people, according to the expert, and many do not require treatment or cause any problems.

When they become problematic, aneurysms can cause a sudden stroke, where the patient may experience the “worst headache of their life.” Arthur described this as a “very abnormal headache, often behind the eye.”

“That’s a very, very dangerous situation,” he said. “I think with Mrs. Kardashian, they may have found it before it caused her stroke, and obviously that’s a blessing.”

What causes an aneurysm?

While aneurysms form at weak points in arteries that join together before birth, some factors can make the event more common.

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This includes excessive alcohol consumption, nicotine exposure, certain genetic conditions, and the use of drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamines.

Drugs and nicotine are known to be “very bad” for the growth and rupture of aneurysms, since they alter the health of blood vessels, Arthur explained.

The expert added that chronic stress has also been linked to brain aneurysms, and noted that a general focus on sleep, diet and exercise can help reduce the risk.

Knowing your family history of aneurysms is important, Arthur added, as screening, or MRI, is recommended if two close relatives have had them.

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Treat the condition

Although some aneurysms can be suddenly fatal when they cause a stroke, people who experience symptoms (usually a severe headache) should see a doctor for treatment options, according to Arthur.

If an aneurysm is found before it bleeds, minimally invasive surgery may be performed to prevent a stroke. Open surgery may also be an option, in which a surgeon can close the aneurysm through an incision along the hairline.

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A doctor can usually monitor smaller aneurysms in older patients to make sure they are not growing or causing a bigger problem, the doctor said.

“We now have ways to repair aneurysms that are quite remarkable,” Arthur told News Digital. “What we can do is place a metal mesh over the opening of the aneurysm or fill the aneurysm with a device and then let nature take its course, so the blood forms a clot and scars.”

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Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the US, adding that it “disables many more people than it kills,” according to Arthur.

News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report. News Digital reached out to Kardashian for comment.