Aortic Dissection Awareness Day: Think Aorta

Today is Aortic Dissection Awareness Day. Today is a good day to support the patients, families, survivors, advocates and clinicians who keep raising awareness about this condition. Aortic dissection is rare, but when it happens, it is a life-threatening emergency. Awareness matters because recognition can be the difference between delay and diagnosis.

Aortic dissection involves the aorta, the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the body. The classic symptom is sudden, severe chest, back or abdominal pain. Some patients describe it as tearing, ripping, or the worst pain they have ever felt. But it can also mimic other conditions. It can look like a heart attack, a stroke, a fainting episode, an abdominal problem, a leg circulation problem, or even just a sudden collapse. That is why it must stay on the radar.

If symptoms are sudden, severe or unusual, especially in someone with high blood pressure, a known aneurysm, previous aortic disease, connective tissue disease, a bicuspid aortic valve or a family history of aortic problems, the aorta must be considered. The message today is simple. Think aorta. Get a contrast CT. Do not wait at home with sudden severe symptoms. Early recognition saves lives.