Kim Kardashian made a big reveal in the premiere episode of The Kardashians Season 7, sharing that she has been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.
In the hit reality series, the SKIMS founder underwent an MRI, during which her doctors told her they had found “a little aneurysm.”
So, what exactly is a brain aneurysm, what are its symptoms and treatments, and how serious is it?
What is a Brain Aneurysm?
Also called a cerebral aneurysm, a brain aneurysm is a condition where a weak spot in a blood vessel in the brain bulges and fills with blood.
This swelling occurs when a part of the artery wall becomes thin or fragile, which may result in a rupture.
While one in every 50 people has an unruptured brain aneurysm, many individuals are unaware that they have it because there are often no visible symptoms—especially if the aneurysm is small and stable.
Although many brain aneurysms are asymptomatic, larger ones are more dangerous. If they rupture, they can lead to serious health complications.
With that being said, people should watch out for these symptoms:
- Persistent or severe headaches
- Pain above or behind the eye
- Changes in vision, such as double or blurred vision
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Difficulty speaking or weakness on one side of the body
When an aneurysm ruptures, it causes a sudden and intense headache often described as the “worst headache” one can experience in their life. It may also be accompanied by confusion, seizures, and loss of consciousness, which can lead to a stroke, brain damage, or even death.
What is the Cause of Kim Kardashian’s Brain Aneurysm?
When telling her family, Kim described her little aneurysm as “like just stress.”
True enough, the reality star has gone through plenty of stress in her life, and footage from The Kardashians Season 7 even shows her crying over what appeared to be her struggle with a part of the bar exam for law school.
However, she seemed to attribute some of her stress to her divorce from former husband Kanye “Ye” West, with whom she shares four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
Kim and Ye tied the knot in 2014 and officially divorced in 2022.
“I haven’t had psoriasis since I got divorced, and it just started coming back,” she told a producer on The Kardashians Season 7. “Anytime I feel like things—”
“I was pretty tested, I will say,” she continued. “Very tested. I have psoriasis again. I felt it. I felt more stressed, probably because I had to super, super protect what I had to protect. My kids are involved now.”
However, according to the Mayo Clinic, a brain aneurysm is caused by thinning artery walls. While it can occur in any part of the brain, it’s most common in the arteries at its base.
There are several factors that contribute to its development, including family history, high blood pressure, inflammation, and lifestyle factors such as smoking and drug use. It’s also more common among women between the ages of 30 and 60.
Treatment depends on the aneurysm’s size, location, and risk of rupture. Small, low-risk aneurysms are often monitored with regular imaging scans to detect any changes.
Higher-risk aneurysms, on the other hand, may require interventions such as surgical clipping (to stop blood flow), endovascular coiling (where coils are inserted into the aneurysm to induce clotting and prevent rupture), and lifestyle changes to manage blood pressure and reduce stress.
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