RADIO SHOCK JOCK Kyle Sandilands has revealed that he’s suffering a brain aneurysm and will be undergoing urgent surgery to treat the potentially fatal condition.
Sandilands, 53, revealed the diagnosis live on air, during an episode of The Kyle and Jackie O Show, this morning.
He shared the news, alongside breakfast co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, after he missed Friday’s show due to the illness.
Sandilands, a deeply polarising personality who nevertheless commands huge ratings, at least in Sydney, acknowledged that some fans may welcome the news.
“On Friday, I was told by my medical team, which sounds like I’m already very sick, to have a medical team, that I have a brain aneurysm and it requires immediate attention, brain surgery,” Sandilands said. “If you just tuned in to us after all these years, lap it up. And if you’re in Melbourne, you’re in the part, you’re coming to the party too late. You may get your wish. I may be dead.”
Sandilands went on to explain that the condition is not a blockage.
“It’s like, imagine your blood vessel is the garden hose, and the garden hose is weak and it blisters out like a big bubble, you know, like a puncture in it, like a bike tire with a big bubble that bubbles the aneurysm, so it’s not blocked. It’s like, it’s expanded and if it bursts, it’s either a vegetable in the wheelchair, or dead.”
Brain aneurysms can affect anyone at any age but are more common in people over 60. Here’s what you need to know about the condition.
What is a brain aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm (also known as a cerebral aneurysm) is a weak or thin spot on an artery in the brain that balloons or bulges out and fills with blood. The bulging aneurysm can put pressure on the nerves or brain tissue. It may also burst or rupture, spilling blood into the surrounding tissue (called a haemorrhage).
A ruptured aneurysm can cause serious health problems such as haemorrhagic stroke, brain damage, coma, and even death.
Some brain aneurysms, particularly small ones, do not bleed or cause other problems. They’re usually detected when a patient gets imaging tests for other medical conditions. Aneurysms can occur anywhere in the brain, but mostly form in the major arteries along the base of the skull.
What are the symptoms of a brain aneurysm?
Symptoms will depend on whether the aneurysm is ruptured or not. Most aneurysms don’t show symptoms until they either become very large or rupture. But small, unchanging aneurysms generally won’t produce symptoms.
A larger aneurysm that is steadily growing may press on tissues and nerves causing:
- pain above and behind the eye
- numbness
- weakness
- paralysis on one side of the face
- a dilated pupil in the eye
- vision changes or double vision.
In the case of a ruptured aneurysm a sufferer will experience sudden and extremely severe headaches and other symptoms, such as may also develop double vision, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, seizures, loss of consciousness (this may happen briefly or may be prolonged) or a cardiac arrest.
A leaking aneurysm, meanwhile, may leak a small amount of blood into the brain (called a sentinel bleed), that causes headaches. Only a small proportion of people experience a sentinel headache prior to rupture. If you do experience a sudden, severe headache, especially when it is combined with any other symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Sandilands was reportedly experiencing headaches and vomiting last week, causing him to miss several days on air.
How common are brain aneurysms?
Brain aneurysms are relatively commons affecting approximately 3-5% of the population. In the vast majority of cases, aneurysms do not cause any symptoms or ill-effects as they are intact and do not rupture. Brain aneurysms are most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 and are more common in women than in men.
Are there any risk factors for brain aneurysms?
Sometimes brain aneurysms result from genetic risk factors, including:
- genetic connective tissue disorders that weaken artery walls
- polycystic kidney disease (in which numerous cysts form in the kidneys)
- arteriovenous malformations (snarled tangles of arteries and veins in the brain that disrupt blood flow. Some AVMs develop sporadically, or on their own)
- history of aneurysm in a direct family member (child, sibling, or parent)
Other risk factors develop over time and include:
- untreated high blood pressure
- cigarette smoking
- drug abuse, especially cocaine or amphetamines, which raise blood pressure to dangerous levels. Intravenous drug abuse is a cause of infectious mycotic aneurysms
- age over 40
Less common risk factors include head trauma, brain tumour and infection in the arterial wall (mycotic aneurysm).
In addition, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol puts one at risk of atherosclerosis (a blood vessel disease in which fats build up on the inside of artery walls), which can increase the risk of developing a fusiform aneurysm.
Can you screen for brain aneurysms?
In most cases brain aneurysms go unnoticed until they rupture or are detected during tests for another condition. If you have experienced a severe headache or have any other symptoms related to a ruptured aneurysm your doctor will order tests, such as a CT scan, MRI, Cerebral angiography and cerebral spinal fluid analysis to determine if blood has leaked into the space between the skull bone and brain.
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