LAFAYETTE, La. — On the health beat, Aortic Dissection Awareness Month is in just a few days.
This is known by many as the silent killer.
KATC sat down with an Ochsner Health doctor to learn about the signs, risks, and prevention.
The aorta is the body's largest artery—carrying blood from the heart to the brain, organs and legs. An aortic dissection happens when part of its inner wall tears.
"So it's a partial tear in the side of the wall, and then that blood creates several openings down this whole large tube," said Dr. Eugene Kukuy, cardiothoracic surgeon at Ochsner Health in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Dr. Kukuy says it can happened even to people who appear young and healthy. But there are warning signs people should know.
"Typically, people will feel a lot of chest pain, a tearing sensation that radiates to the back," says Kukuy. "Sometimes they'll have sensations going up into their jaw, towards their neck, down their arms."
The pain can feel a lot like a heart attack so Dr. Kukuy says patients should not try to diagnose it themselves.
A CT scan can find the tear and some cases require emergency surgery.
"The important thing is don't ignore your symptoms," Kukuy says. "You may feel something and then you may feel even better afterwards. The safest thing to do is go get checked out."
Controlling high blood pressure and knowing your family's medical history can help doctors identify possible risks early.
