Medically Reviewed by Christopher G. Cunningham, MD

Pain comes with aging. But a specific type of back pain warns of an impending disaster – a bulge in one of your body’s key blood vessels, ready to explode.

McLeod Vascular Surgeon Dr. Christopher Cunningham describes what to look for:

Here are some of Dr. Cunningham’s key points:

• As the aneurysm (a bulge in the aorta) grows and the wall of the blood vessel becomes thin, you will feel pain.
  • Back pain that’s new and severe.
  • Pain in the pelvis or lower abdomen.
• This is not the everyday back pain that you might have as you age.
• If you are age 70 or older and wake up with a sudden back pain for no reason and your stomach hurts – that’s a potential sign of a rupturing aneurysm.
• You should go directly to an emergency room.
• A CT scan of the aorta would reveal the aneurysm’s status.
• If it’s in danger of rupturing, you’ll be treated immediately.

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