WHAT IS A SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE (SAH), AND WHAT IS AN ANEURYSM?
A subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious medical emergency. It occurs when a blood vessel (an artery) next to the brain bursts, causing sudden bleeding in and around the brain. This type of bleeding can happen for various reasons. A common reason is the bursting of an aneurysm. An aneurysm forms when the wall of an artery weakens, stretches, and pouches out like a balloon. The thinned wall of an aneurysm can suddenly burst, causing dangerous bleeding. About four in 10 people will die from this kind of bleeding.2 Those who live after this type of bleeding can have problems.When a ruptured aneurysm is found, the aneurysm has to be closed off or “clipped” by a surgeon to stop further bleeding. Even when this is done, those who live after having a ruptured aneurysm are more likely to have another aneurysm compared to others who have never had one. In fact, someone who had an SAH from a ruptured aneurysm has about a 22 times greater chance of having another SAH than someone who has neve
