Symptoms of Aortic Aneurysm

About Aortic Aneurysm Symptoms

The symptoms of aortic aneurysm include a variety of things and may not be present in all patients with aortic aneurysm. The symptoms will depend upon a number of factors and can indicate medical concerns other than aneurysm.

Anyone having these symptoms should seek medical care, especially if the onset is severe or sudden in nature. These symptoms can indicate the presence of an aortic aneurysm or a number of other medical concerns.

No Symptoms

One of the more common symptoms of aortic aneurysm is the lack of symptoms. Generally, there are only symptoms present if the aneurysm is putting pressure on nearby tissue or organs or if a tearing in the artery wall (dissection) has been caused.

Back or Chest Pain

When dissection has occurred, the patient may experience a sensation of severe pain in the chest or back that feels as if something is tearing inside. The chest pain may also be described as deep, aching or throbbing. This pain can spread to the region over the kidneys (flank), and even to the groin and buttocks.

This can be an indicator of aortic aneurysm, though other things can cause this, too. Two of those things are peptic ulcer disease and coronary artery disease.

Abdominal Pain

Another symptom of artery wall tearing is for the patient to experience pain in the abdomen. Alternatively, there may be a throbbing feeling in the abdomen.

Extremities

The extremities in a patient with tearing in an artery wall can feel cold or numb. This includes having a toe turn blue or black. Pain can accompany this black or blue toe and is caused by a blood clot being caused by the aneurysm and then breaking off and blocking blood flow that goes to the feet or legs.

Weight Loss

Weight loss can occur when the patient has an inflammatory aortic aneurysm.

Fever

Fever may accompany an aortic aneurysm, if it is inflammatory.

Stroke

Dissection can also cause a stroke in patients. This symptom is serious not only because it may indicate dissection is present, but because of the impact a stroke has on the patient, as well.

Throat and Lungs

Several other symptoms of aortic aneurysm revolve around the throat and lungs. They include difficulty swallowing, pain when swallowing, hoarseness, coughing and shortness of breath.

Rupture

The symptoms of an aortic aneurysm rupture include severe pain that is sudden in onset, blood pressure drop and the signs of shock. Death can occur if not treated immediately.

Summary

The symptoms of aortic aneurysm can indicate its presence but also can be caused by other medical concerns. Patients having any of these symptoms should consult with a physician.

References

Aortic Aneurysms. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. https://www.sts.org/sections/patientinformation/aneurysmsurgery/aorticaneurysms/

Aortic Aneurysm – Symptoms. WebMD. Last updated January 26, 2010. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/aortic-aneurysm-symptoms