{"id":10139,"date":"2019-08-15T05:59:02","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T05:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=10139"},"modified":"2021-04-25T21:50:12","modified_gmt":"2021-04-25T21:50:12","slug":"15-common-symptoms-of-aortic-dissection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-common-symptoms-of-aortic-dissection\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Common Symptoms of Aortic Dissection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Aortic dissection is the de facto medical term that doctors use to describe a tear in the inner aortic wall. This tear lets blood flow freely between the layers of the aorta, further expanding the separation. If this isn\u2019t treated immediately then a total aortic rupture could occur, and these events are usually fatal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aortic aneurysms can also lead to aortic dissection, so if you know that you have an aneurysm in your aorta, you should get it treated before dissection occurs as the latter is far more dangerous and much harder to treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There isn\u2019t a lot of time to spare when aortic dissection is present, and thus you should be aware of the symptoms so that you can get treatment immediately. The key to nipping this problem at the bud before it nips you is to keep a lookout for these eight common symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Severe pain in the chest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As you can imagine, with any catastrophic cardiovascular event, you\u2019re bound to feel severe pain in your chest. This pain is usually acute \u2014 which is just another fancy medical term meaning sudden. There have been some reports of patients describing a milder pain that appeared gradually followed by the acute pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, however, was most likely due to the fact that they had an aneurysm first which caused the gradual pain followed by aortic dissection which is what caused the acute pain that they described as being more severe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aorta is on the left side of your chest, so most aortic dissection<\/a> symptoms will manifest on that side of the body rather than on the right. The pain can be described as tearing, due to the nature of the injury in which the aortic walls separate as blood flows between the layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. Back pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another symptom of aortic dissection is back pain<\/a>. The issue with back pain is the fact that it\u2019s less identifiable as aortic dissection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most doctors would have no trouble finding out that the back pain is being caused by aortic dissection, but the Average Joe would think that it\u2019s simply fatigue or a result of bad posture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While backaches are common, it\u2019s essential that you identify between back pain from non-threatening causes and pain from an aortic dissection. If the pain is muscular or skeletal then it\u2019s likely not being caused by aortic dissection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you feel that the pain is shearing, ripping, or tearing in nature then it could be caused by an aortic dissection and thus you should have yourself admitted to a hospital. In fact, even if the pain feels muscular or skeletal but is acute then you should still see a doctor to pinpoint the root issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Abdominal pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people erroneously think that the aorta <\/a>is only located around the heart. That simply isn\u2019t true as the aorta actually runs down your entire abdomen. That being the case, it\u2019s possible for aortic dissections to cause abdominal pain if it occurs in that area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These types of aortic dissections are known as thoracic aortic dissections. Much like with the previous two symptoms, abdominal pain can be caused by a wide variety of things and thus you need to do some detective work if you hope to narrow down the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the pain is tearing then it could very well be an aortic dissection. If, however, the pain is more of a twisting sensation and is accompanied by nausea then you most likely have a case of gastroenteritis also known as stomach flu. In either case, immediately consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment is advised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

4. Leg pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have an abdominal aortic aneurysm then you may also experience leg pain. This is due to the fact that the aneurysm <\/a>is obstructing the blood flow to your lower body and thus your legs aren\u2019t getting enough blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pain may be akin to a throbbing sensation. This could go on for hours or even days. While an aneurysm isn\u2019t dissection, it greatly increases the odds of a dissection occurring. That being the case, you should admit yourself to the ER as soon as you suspect that an aneurysm is present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leg pain caused by abdominal aortic aneurysms is generally easy to distinguish from other conditions such as arthritis. Older men with hypertension are a high-risk group for this type of aortic aneurysm. Smoking will also greatly increase your odds of developing an aortic aneurysm at some point in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

5. Anxiety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another symptom associated with aortic dissection is anxiety<\/a>. There was one patient who was 51 years old and male. A few months before a thoracic aortic aneurysm, he was having increasingly severe anxiety and symptoms of panic. He has long suffered from PTSD for quite a long time thus they assumed this was the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palpitations and insomnia. Following the surgery, the patient has become stable and no longer suffered from the aforementioned symptoms. Anxiety is all too common in our high-stress modern world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, you shouldn\u2019t ignore it. If you find that the anxiety gets increasingly worse as time passes, that\u2019s likely because your physical condition is deteriorating. That may be due to an aortic aneurysm or even dissection. Whatever the cause is for your anxiety, it\u2019s essential that you get yourself checked up so you can nip the problem at the bud before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

6. Nausea<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another symptom that might be ignored or shrugged off is nausea<\/a>. While it could very well be true that the seafood you ate for dinner is the cause, it\u2019s important that you do your due diligence to ensure that nothing more serious is currently in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to find out is by analyzing the pattern of your nausea. If you\u2019ve begun throwing up, try and time the gaps between each vomiting session. If you find that the frequency of the vomiting is increasing then you should start to consider the possibility that it\u2019s being caused by a severe problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s accompanied by the other symptoms on this list AND also increases in frequency then there\u2019s a high chance that it could be aortic dissection. Even if you find the gaps between your vomiting sessions to be rather consistent it still wouldn\u2019t hurt to drop by the hospital and see if there\u2019s a problem present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

7. Paralysis of one side of the body<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not, some cases of aortic dissection are entirely painless. It seems counterintuitive that something as catastrophic as a tear in your aorta wouldn\u2019t cause any pain, but nonetheless, it does happen \u2014 though very rarely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These painless aortic dissections are often difficult to notice until the blood pressure<\/a> becomes asymmetrical. One patient, a male who was 56 years of age, was admitted to the hospital. Doctors were surprised to find that he had mismatched blood pressures between one side of his body to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After performing a CT scan, they found out that he had a case of aortic dissection. Thus, hemiplegia \u2014 paralysis on only one side of the body \u2014 could be a valuable way to identify painless aortic dissection and treat it before the problem becomes more severe. Of course, you should also consider other possibilities such as a stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8. Weakness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Weakness <\/a>is another symptom that you might experience if you\u2019re suffering aortic dissection. When aortic dissection occurs, the blood being pumped out from the left ventricle of your heart will flow between the layers of the aorta\u2019s inner wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing as that\u2019s the case, less blood being pumped out of your left ventricle will actually make it to the rest of your body. The decreased blood flow will thus make you feel weaker. In some cases, only one side of the body will be weaker. Cases in which only one side of the body is entirely disabled can also occur as we explained in the previous symptom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the aortic dissection came as a result of a thoracic aortic aneurysm then you might notice the weakness in your legs first, even during the aneurysm phase. If you notice weakness in correlation with one or more of the symptoms on our list then seek immediate medical care.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

<\/div>