LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A silent killer claimed the life of a nationally known sports writer. 

Grant Wahl died from an aneurysm while covering the World Cup in Qatar.

Wahl’s wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, said “Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,” she wrote on her husband’s website, referring to the wall that surrounds the heart. 

Doctors and survivors say there can be potential warning signs of an aneurysm.

At the Norton Heart and Vascular Institute, doctors see hundreds of patients with aneurysms every year and in a lot of cases, it's a matter of life and death.

"I thought I had food poisoning," Rob Priest said.

A few years ago, Priest was in Louisville on a business trip from Dayton, Ohio and had a life or death medical scare in his hotel room.

He said he was watching the NBA playoffs but got a pain in his side. 

"It went from heaven to hell in a matter of a second," Priest said.

He eventually called an ambulance and was rushed to Norton Audubon Hospital. At the hospital, Priest learned he had a life-threatening aneurysm. 

"They identified that I had a ruptured aortic aneurysm," said Priest.

Doctors prepared him for emergency surgery.

"And the young lady explained, do not go to sleep because we can't wake you back up," Priest said.

He was told that by the time his family got there from Dayton, he'd possibly be on a ventilator but might not even be alive.

Priest credits the doctors for saving his life but he still has questions.

"Why did I get the pass," Priest said.

Dr. David Rosenbaum, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Norton Heart and Vascular Institute, says there aren't a lot of warning signs.

The Norton Healthcare website says "an aneurysm occurs when part of an artery wall weakens, allowing it to balloon out or widen. The cause of an aneurysm is sometimes unknown. Some people are born with them. They also can be hereditary. Aortic disease or an injury also may cause an aneurysm."

"Most people find out they have an aneurysm when they have a CAT scan of their chest or an ultrasound for some other reason," Rosenbaum said.

Experts at the Mayo Clinic say "aortic aneurysms often grow slowly. There are usually no symptoms, making them difficult to detect. Many start small and stay small, although some grow bigger over time. How quickly a thoracic aortic aneurysm may grow is difficult to predict."

As an aortic aneurysm grows, The Mayo Clinic says signs and symptoms may include:

  • Back pain
  • Cough
  • Weak, scratchy voice (hoarseness)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Tenderness or pain in the chest

Signs that an aortic aneurysm has ruptured include:

  • Sharp, sudden pain in the upper back that spreads downward
  • Pain in the chest, jaw, neck or arms
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Low blood pressure
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Trouble swallowing

If you suspect an aneurysm is growing or has ruptured, you should consider it an immediate life-threatening situation and should call 911. 

Doctors say the best way to reduce chances of getting an aneurysm is to lower or avoid activities that could destroy blood vessels.

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