What is a brain aneurysm? Symptoms and signs, causes and survival rate as rapper Dr Dre says he’s ‘doing great’

Dr Dre – the influential rapper and producer who was instrumental in the career of Eminem – has suffered a possible brain aneurysm, though says he is “doing great” as he receives “excellent care”.

Following reports he had been taken ill and was in hospital, the 55-year-old rapper shared an update on Instagram, thanking fans for their support and promising to be home “soon”.

He wrote: “Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes. I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals... One Love!!”

But what is a brain aneurysm? What are the symptoms, and what should you do if you fear you are suffering from one?

Here is everything you need to know.

What is a brain aneurysm?

A brain aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bulges.

This can be because the vessel has developed a weakness in its wall, and as blood passes through it, the pressure can cause a small area to balloon outwards.

Aneurysms can occur in any blood vessel in the body, though the brain is one of the most common locations, along with the abdominal aorta, the artery that transports blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.

How common are they, and what causes them?

Since brain aneurysms usually cause no symptoms and pass undetected it's difficult to estimate exactly how many people are affected by them – some experts believe it to be as high as one in 20 people, while others think the figure is much lower.

The number of aneurysms that actually rupture is much smaller, and only around one in 12,500 people have a ruptured brain aneurysm in England each year.

The exact causes of brain aneurysms are unknown, but the best preventative methods you can take include not smoking, not eating a high-fat diet, controlling high blood pressure, and not being overweight or obese.