Chinese President Xi Jinping is suffering from "cerebral aneurysm" and had to be hospitalized at the end of 2021, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday citing other media reports. "It is learnt that he preferred to be treated with traditional Chinese medicines rather than going for surgery, which softens the blood vessels and shrinks aneurysm,” the agency added.

Speculations about his health were made when he avoided meeting the foreign leaders from the outbreak of COVID-19 till the Beijing Winter Olympics. Also during his visit to Italy a noticeable limp was observed in his walking manner. Similarly, during an address to the public in Shenzhen in October 2020, his delay in appearance, slow speech and coughing spree again led to speculation about his ill health.

Report on the health condition of the Chinese President comes when China's economy is under a lot of strain, partly due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and partly due to zero-COVID policy.

Here are the answers to a few common questions related to the health condition of Xi Jinping:

What is cerebral aneurysm?

Cerebral aneurysm or brain aneurysm is a condition when a bulge forms in one of the blood vessels in the brain. This balloon-like bulge appears in the weakest spot of the blood vessel in the brain which when expands, ruptures and bleeds in the brain leading to a subarachnoid hemorrhage and may cause a hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke.

What are the warning signs of a cerebral aneurysm?

The body will not show any symptoms of brain aneurysm until it ruptures. "Most brain aneurysms have no symptoms and are small in size (less than 10 millimeters, or less than four-tenths of an inch, in diameter). Smaller aneurysms may have a lower risk of rupture," John Hopkins Medicine Centre says.However sometimes, before the rupture, few warnings are noticed which may be due to leakage of small amounts of blood. The common signs are headaches, eye pain, changes in vision and reduced eye movement.Soon after the rupture of the blood vessel, an individual may observe terrible headache, stiffness in the neck, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, eye pain, loss of consciousness, high blood pressure, loss of balance or coordination, light sensitivity, leg pain, pain in the back, limited functions in nose, tongue, ears and subsequently coma and death.

What is the main cause of cerebral aneurysm?

Experts have said that the main cause of cerebral aneurysm is smoking and high blood pressure. The other factors that are associated with the possibility of this condition are: older age, alcohol consumption, atherosclerosis, head injury and infection.

What are the potential risk factors of cerebral aneurysm?

Genetic predisposition, polycystic kidney disease, and tangles of arteries and veins in the brain called arteriovenous malformations are the potential risk factors of cerebral aneurysm.

Who is most at risk for brain aneurysm?

Cerebral aneurysm can occur in anyone irrespective of age. "Brain aneurysms can occur in anyone and at any age. They are most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 and are more common in women than in men. People with certain inherited disorders are also at higher risk," experts at the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have said.

Can alcohol cause a cerebral aneurysm?

Alcohol consumption is a contributing factor in the development of brain aneurysm. Experts have said that binge drinking can cause aneurysm in the brain and rupture it.

Is cerebral aneurysm life threatening?

"About 25 percent of individuals whose cerebral aneurysm has ruptured do not survive the first 24 hours; another 25 percent die from complications within 6 months. People who experience subarachnoid hemorrhage may have permanent neurological damage. Other individuals recover with little or no disability," says the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.