September is Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month, and according to advocacy groups, more than 6 million people in the U.S. are living with an unruptured brain aneurysm.
That's approximately 1 in 50 people.
The annual rupture rate is approximately 8 to 10 per 100,000 people, according to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.
A brain aneurysm ruptures every 18 minutes, and when one ruptures, it is often fatal.
Among survivors, approximately 66% suffer permanent neurological damage.
According to the foundation, brain aneurysms are most prevalent among people ages 35 to 60, with most developing after age 40.
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The foundation also states that women are more likely than men to develop a brain aneurysm.
"The scary thing about brain aneurysms is a lot of the times there are no symptoms," said Dr. Mark Bain, cerebrovascular neurosurgeon, Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Bain said brain aneurysms are often discovered incidentally, whether through imaging after a fall or during an examination for headaches.
"Years of high blood pressure if you have a history of smoking a lot of cigarettes and if you have a family history of aneurysms, you know, you find out a first-degree relative has a brain aneurysm, that may lead you to want to get screened," explained Bain.
Bain said screening typically involves a simple MRI scan of the brain's blood vessels.
"If you think something's off get it checked out, mention it to your primary care doctor so that they can refer you to a neurosurgeon and we can get this thing taken care of," he added.
