Understanding why people wait with brain aneurysm symptoms and delays in diagnosis when every second counts.
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
If you’ve experienced a brain aneurysm rupture or supported someone who has, you already know that the journey to diagnosis is not always simple.
Many of our community have heard stories of sudden headaches brushed off as “just a migraine,” or trips to the GP that didn’t lead to answers straight away. Some of you may have experienced those delays yourselves.
That’s why a new study from the Wessex Neurological Centre is so important. It doesn’t just look at medical notes. It listens to patients. It asks them what really happened in those first hours and days, what they thought, what they felt and why getting help wasn’t always straightforward.
The biggest delays happened before people even reached a doctor
The study spoke to 106 patients who had a delayed diagnosis. The most striking finding was that 80 percent didn’t seek help straight away, even though many had what doctors call a thunderclap headache. One patient described it as “sudden, explosive and severe at onset.”
Why did people wait? Their reasons were surprisingly familiar:
hoping the pain would “settle on its own”
thinking it “wasn’t severe enough”
assuming it was a migraine
not wanting to “waste NHS time”
being scared of hospitals
feeling too confused or unwell to understand what was happening
Even people who already knew they were at higher risk, including those with a past aneurysm bleed or a family history, sometimes blamed stress, alcohol or even COVID instead.
What finally pushed them to seek help
Most people eventually went because their symptoms didn’t go away, new symptoms appeared or a family member insisted. It shows how powerful it can be when someone close says, “This isn’t normal, let’s get you checked.”
But delays didn’t stop there
The study also found that 45 percent of patients faced delays even after they asked for help. This happened in emergency departments, GP surgeries and with non-doctor staff such as paramedics or phone triage services.
Here’s what those delays looked like:
81 percent were sent home without the right diagnosis
Some needed up to four visits before SAH was found
75 percent were given the wrong diagnosis, often migraine, neck strain, gastroenteritis or alcohol-related illness
In 12 cases, doctors suspected SAH but mistakes happened with brain scans or lumbar punctures
And one finding really stood out. People who waited at home were almost ten times more likely to face a second delay once they reached care. One delay often led to another.
The good news is, this research shows patterns that can be changed and gives us knowledge we can share with others in our community and wider.
The more we understand why delays happen, the better we can support people to trust their instincts, speak up sooner and feel confident seeking help when something feels wrong.
Please spread the word - a ruptured aneurysm is a medical emergency. It is very different from a normal headache.
The key warning sign is a VERY SUDDEN severe headache that comes on in seconds and unlike anything you've felt before. People often describe it as the worst headache of their life or a thunderclap headache.
This may also come with:
Stiff neck
Sensitivity to light
Nausea or vomiting
Confusion or loss of consciousness
Call 999 straight away. Do not wait to see if it passes.
For more information: hbasupport.org/post/brain-aneurysms-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment-and-faqs
