The main blood vessel in your body is the aorta (say: a-or-ta). It is a long blood vessel that reaches from your chest into your abdomen. It carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body. The part of the aorta in your abdomen is called the abdominal aorta. It supplies blood to your stomach, pelvis and legs.
An aneurysm (say: an-yur-izm) is a weak area in a blood vessel. If a blood vessel weakens, it starts to swell like a balloon and becomes abnormally large. If an aneurysm forms on your abdominal aorta and grows too large, your aorta may tear or burst.
As the aneurysm develops, there are usually no symptoms. When the aneurysm leaks or tears, you may experience the following:
Doctors don’t know what exactly causes an AAA, but aneurysms in general are more common in older people, especially men older than 60 years of age. AAA may also run in families. The following risk factors also can increase your chances of developing an AAA:
Talk to your doctor if you have a higher risk of an AAA or if you have any of the symptoms. Your doctor may order a test called an ultrasound. An ultrasound provides a picture of your organs by passing sound waves through your body. It can help measure the size of your aorta.
If your aneurysm is large or is growing quickly, you will most likely need surgery. If your aneurysm is small, your doctor may just monitor it using ultrasound tests.
It is important to prevent the aneurysm from bursting or tearing. You can help by quitting smoking and by working with your doctor to control your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm by GR Upchurch, Jr., M.D. and TA Schaub, M.D. (American Family Physician April 01, 2006, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20060401/1198.html)
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff
Reviewed/Updated: 07/10
Created: 04/06