Frequent headaches and fatigue without cause: dangerous body signals that warn of a serious illness

Photo: Svetlana MAKOVEEVA

Head of the Endovascular Neurosurgery Research Center, Federal Center for Brain and Neurotechnology, FMBA, Doctor of Medical Sciences. Kirill Orlov said that in his center about a thousand operations are performed a year, one way or another related to cerebral vessels or nervous diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy:

– Endovascular surgery is completely different from open surgery: during the operation, we insert a probe through the femoral artery or another artery and go to the affected area of ​​​​the vessel. Or an aneurysm. During such an operation there is no blood, we see what happens on the monitor.

An aneurysm looks like a swelling, a bubble on the surface of the vessel; This thin-walled “bubble” is filled with blood and can burst if the walls become too thin. An aneurysm usually grows in the arteries of the brain and can cause a hemorrhagic stroke if not neutralized in time. An aneurysm is neutralized in two ways: either a special substance is injected into the gallbladder, which fills the cavity, as if cementing the walls, or the aneurysm is cut and bandaged, preventing it from filling further with blood. Operations are performed if the aneurysm clearly threatens to rupture. But usually patients are not even aware of its presence.

“As a rule, an aneurysm does not announce itself in any way, which is why it is called “silent,” explains Kirill Orlov. – Appears for various reasons: hereditary inferiority of the vascular wall or traumatic brain injury, frequent pressure fluctuations. Among the reasons may be bad habits: smoking, alcohol abuse. In general, according to various sources, approximately 3 to 5% of people suffer from aneurysms, but not everyone knows about them.

Possible signs:

– frequent attacks of headaches,

– fatigue and decreased performance, less frequently – deterioration of cognitive functions (memory),

– dizziness.

Symptoms usually worsen as the aneurysm begins to grow and press on nerve endings in the brain. And this already increases the risk of bleeding.

“In general, any neurological abnormality, including anxiety and sleep disorders, is a reason to consult a neurologist and have an examination,” says Dr. Orlov. – Including MRI of the brain. It is on MRI that we can see tumors and aneurysms, which give rise to many neurological symptoms, including frequent headaches.

Unfortunately, as the experts explained, an aneurysm cannot be “reversed”; once it happens, it will stay with you. Therefore, if it is discovered, it is important to adjust your lifestyle. For example, watch your diet and have your cholesterol tested once a year, because cholesterol plaques also thin the walls of blood vessels. And follow the simple rules of a healthy lifestyle: get enough sleep, enough physical activity, at least 30 minutes of walking in the fresh air a day. These simple rules are a great way to prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases and strokes.