What are the symptoms of an aortic aneurysm or dissection?
Aortic aneurysms usually do not cause any symptoms until they are quite large. Aortic aneurysms can cause the following symptoms: • Upper back pain • Coughing and wheezing • Hoarse voice • Difficulty swallowing • Swelling in neck or arms • Horner’s syndrome (constricted pupil, drooping eyelid and dry skin on one side of the face • Deep boring pain or pulsation in the lower back region Aortic dissection symptoms usually appear suddenly and include: • Severe onset of sharp, stabbing, tearing or ripping pain usually in the chest (front, back or both) or lower back depending on the site of the dissection. • Decreased ability to move or decreased sensation in an arm or leg or other part of the body. • Rapid pulse, sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fainting shortness of breath, weak or absent pulse. • In some instances, there may be no pain but a sense that there is something terribly “wrong.” How are aortic aneurysms and dissections treated? In families with a genetic history of aortic
