September is Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month, a reminder that over 6 million Americans — roughly 1 in 50 people — are living with an unruptured brain aneurysm. The Brain Aneurysm Foundation notes that a rupture occurs every 18 minutes, and among those who survive, about 66% experience permanent neurological damage.
Dr. Mark Bain, a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic, warns that aneurysms often have no symptoms and are discovered by chance. Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking, and family history. Screening typically involves a simple MRI of the brain's blood vessels.
