Brain bleed: 8 things that trigger ruptured aneurysms

People sometimes joke about being so stressed out that they're about to burst an aneurysm. Unfortunately, for the estimated six million Americans whose brains harbor an aneurysm - a dangerously weakened portion of a blood vessel - that's not so far from the truth.

In a study published recently in the journal "Stroke," scientists pinpointed eight everyday activities can cause a brain aneurysm to rupture and bleed? - an often-deadly event known as a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Click to see all eight triggers - and keep clicking to find out what you should know about protecting yourself against brain aneurysms.

Credit: istockphoto