A brain aneurysm survivor urged her family to get screened. Her mom and sister have them, too.

• After Shailja Ambrose collapsed at work, she found out she had a brain aneurysm.
• Ambrose urged her sister, Neerja Patel, to get tested. Patel learned she had three brain aneurysms.

Shailja Ambrose woke up on a gloomy November morning in 2017 anticipating a mundane day full of work, meetings, and parental responsibilities for her two children. Little did she know, she would collapse in the basement bathroom at work because of a ruptured brain aneurysm.

As she was slowly losing consciousness, Ambrose managed to ask Siri to contact one of her coworkers, Jill, for help; she knew it would be the only way to get assistance in the otherwise serviceless basement. Jill called for medical attention, and EMTs arrived quickly on the scene. Ambrose asked to be taken to the nearest trauma center.

Ambrose, then 40, had never suffered from any symptoms that indicated she had any neurological issues. However, over the course of six years, as she cared for her husband who later died of brain cancer, she gained a unique knowledge of brain-related issues and signs to look out for.

Brain aneurysms are the 'silent killer'

A brain aneurysm, formally known as a cerebral aneurysm, occurs when there is a bulge in a weak area of an artery in the brain. When blood flows to the brain, the pressure pushes the weakened section outward and causes it to stretch, similar to inflating a balloon.

As Dr. Omar Syed, a board-certified neurosurgeon in the New York metro area, told Insider, the vast majority of aneurysms are asymptomatic, or do not cause symptoms if they have not ruptured, or burst open. But if a brain aneurysm ruptures, it can cause bleeding into the brain and be life-threatening if not immediately treated. A ruptured aneurysm can also cause some people to experience extremely painful headaches, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, blurry vision, or a serious loss of consciousness, Syed said.

After the rupture, Ambrose remained in the hospital's intensive-care unit for two weeks to make sure she was receiving the right medication to treat her pain and recovery. Ambrose was visited by her children, friends, and family. One of those visitors was Ambrose's younger sister, Neerja Patel.

"I didn't know anything about brain aneurysms, but from the internet, I saw that the chances of survival were slim," Patel said. "The doctor informed me that brain aneurysms run in the family and that I should get screened. I thought to myself, 'What are the chances I have it, too?'"

That December, after some deliberation and encouragement from her husband, Patel was screened at Mount Sinai in New York City and learned she had not one but three brain aneurysms. She sought additional opinions from doctors at New York University's health center and NewYork-Presbyterian. They confirmed her diagnosis. In fact, doctors told her that one aneurysm was especially large and that if it was left unclipped, it would rupture. That April, Patel had to get an open-brain craniotomy.

"Thankfully, the surgery went well, though I temporarily lost my ability to chew due to weakened jaw muscles and had to go on a liquid diet for six weeks," Patel added. "I will never forget the surgeon's words post-surgery. He said it was a really close call and had that aneurysm gone unattended or unclipped, he wasn't sure how much time I had left."

Through physical therapy and after a slow recovery, Patel has regained her pre-surgery life. As for the other two aneurysms, she gets an MRI screening annually to keep an eye on their growth in case there's a need for surgeries.

Aneurysms are not hereditary, but family members should get screened if 2 people are affected

Research by the Stanford South Asian Translational Heart Initiative found that people of South Asian ancestry had a higher risk of heart disease compared with other ethnic groups, primarily attributed to the lifestyle and diet prevalent within the population. Since brain aneurysms are caused by a weakness in the walls of blood vessels in the brain, heart disease is a common contributing risk factor, as is smoking, high blood pressure, and family history, studies have found.

More than half of unruptured aneurysms are purely incidental findings, Dr. Sayed told Insider, though anyone experiencing any symptoms like unprecedented severe headaches, weakness or numbness, confusion, seizures, blurred or double vision, or a stiff neck should seek medical attention immediately.

Additionally, Syed recommended an annual MRI screening if two or more first-degree relatives (a parent, child, or sibling) had aneurysms. If no aneurysm is detected, then follow-up imaging is recommended every five years. Anyone with a family history of aneurysms should also pay attention to risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and excessive alcohol intake.

"It's important to know that these are modifiable risk factors and positive changes in diet and lifestyle behaviors can reduce your risk for aneurysm rupture," Syed said.

The sisters learned to advocate for their health

Given the asymptomatic nature of aneurysms, Patel and Ambrose urged their family to get screened. Though a few of their cousins agreed to the screening (and were given the all clear), some older family members were hesitant, and while their mother did agree to a screening, which led to an aneurysm being found, doctors advised that the risks of clipping it (i.e., bleeding, infection, and strokelike complications) did not outweigh the benefits.

The sisters plan to have their children screened to be proactive about their health, given the family history, and to take any preventive measures as needed. They also emphasized the urgency in advocating for your own health.

"I knew what I was feeling, and for my children's sake, I had to demand for more so they don't lose their mother, too," Ambrose said. "If you are facing something medical, reach out, ask questions, and find what's best for you. Information is power."