An aneurysm is a balloon or bulge at one area of the artery wall. When the artery wall weakens at a spot along the course of the vessel, it is prone to ballooning due to  blood collecting within the sac-like pouch. This ballooning continues to add stress to the already compromised vessel wall and can rupture. This can be fatal.

A aneurysm can affect any artery but tends to occur more frequently in the aorta or cerebral artery. Aneurysms do not always appear like a balloon extending from the wall. At times it may appear like a bulge or widening of the artery at the affected area.

continue reading What is an Aneurysm? Artery Balloon, Bulge

The aorta is the artery that carries oxygen-rich blood out of the left ventricle of the heart. As the largest artery in the body, it has many branches which helps distribute the oxygenated blood to organs and tissues.

Typically the aorta starts from the top of the heart (ascending aorta), curves downwards (arch of the aorta) and continues downwards (descending aorta). The part of the descending aorta that runs through the chest (thoracic cavity) is known as the thoracic aorta while the part that runs below the diaphragm, through the abdomen is known as the abdominal aorta.

continue reading What is the Aorta?