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Kim Kardashian is opening up about being diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.
The Skims founder, 45, announced in a preview clip of Season 7 of Hulu’s “The Kardashians” that her doctors discovered the condition during an MRI scan, telling her family, “There was a little aneurysm.”
The cause has not been identified, but Kardashian’s doctors considered that it might be from stress.
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What is an aneurysm?
A brain aneurysm is the ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain, which can leak or rupture, leading to bleeding, according to Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Adam Arthur, chairman of neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee, described an aneurysm as a weakness on the wall of an artery, like a little water balloon that forms off a hose.
This is known as a hemorrhagic stroke, which can be life-altering and even fatal. Most aneurysms are small and not serious if they don’t rupture.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Arthur — who is also chief medical officer of Medtronic Neurovascular, a California company that produces medical devices that help treat aneurysms — noted that brain aneurysms are much more common in women.
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This most likely has to do with genetics, although “there’s so much about the brain and about genetics that we don’t understand,” Arthur said.
Aneurysms are present in up to one in every 50 people, according to the expert, and many don’t require treatment or cause a problem.
When they do become problematic, aneurysms can cause a sudden stroke, where a patient may experience the “worst headache of their life.” Arthur described this as a “very abnormal headache, often behind the eye.”
“That’s a very, very dangerous situation,” he said. “I believe that with Ms. Kardashian, it may be that they found it before it caused a stroke, and obviously that’s a blessing.”
What causes an aneurysm?
While aneurysms form on the weak spots of arteries that are knit together before birth, some factors can make the event more common.
This includes alcohol binge-drinking, nicotine exposure, certain genetic conditions, and the use of drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines.
Drugs and nicotine are known to be “very bad” for aneurysm growth and rupture, since they tamper with blood vessel health, Arthur detailed.
The expert added that chronic stress has also been linked to brain aneurysms, noting that an overall focus on sleep, diet and exercise can help reduce the risk.
Knowing the family history for aneurysms is important, Arthur added, as it’s recommended to get a screening exam, or MRI, if two close relatives have had them.
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Treating the condition
Although some aneurysms can be suddenly fatal when they lead to a stroke, people experiencing symptoms — typically an intense headache — should see a doctor for treatment options, according to Arthur.
If an aneurysm is found before it bleeds, minimally invasive surgery could be performed to avoid stroke. Open surgery may also be an option, where a surgeon can pinch the aneurysm shut through an incision along the hairline.
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Smaller aneurysms in older patients can typically be monitored by a physician to ensure that they’re not growing or causing a larger issue, the doctor said.
“We do have ways of fixing aneurysms now that are pretty remarkable,” Arthur told Fox News Digital. “What we can do is put a metal mesh over the opening of the aneurysm or fill the aneurysm with a device and then let nature take its course — and so that blood then forms a clot and scars.”
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Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the U.S., adding that it “disables way more people than it outright kills,” according to Arthur.
Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report. Fox News Digital reached out to Kardashian for comment.
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