What is an Aortic Tear?

Austin, TX - Prolonged and unmanaged hypertension is usually the culprit behind aortic tears. An aortic tear is the rupture of an aortic aneurysm, which is a weakening and bulging of the aortic wall.

In some cases, a spike in blood pressure can cause an aneurysm to rupture. The rupture causes extensive internal bleeding and can very quickly lead to death.

Aortic tears are preventable with proper medical management for hypertension and routine CT scans to monitor the growth of the patient's aneurysm. If the aneurysm grows to a certain diameter, surgical intervention may be necessary.

In addition to medical management, lifestyle is a critical factor in prevention.

Factors that increase a patient's likelihood for getting an aortic tear include family history, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, smoking, diabetes and obesity.

Dr. Bill Kessler stopped by Good Day to talk about this issue.