Masturbation: a woman dies after a ruptured aneurysm

There are the glorious deaths… and the others. The case which concerns us is reported by German forensic scientists in L’American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, and relayed by Marc Gozlan, journalist at Science and the Future, on his blog. It concerns a young woman of 24, found dead in her bathroom. At his side, the murder weapon: a vibrator.

The young woman, gone to isolate herself at the end of a heavy family celebration, is in all likelihood died as a result of her stay in the kingdom of Onan. The autopsy showed that the death was due to subarachnoid hemorrhage, caused by a ruptured aneurysm at the base of the brain.

The widow’s wrist has struck again

Aneurysm is an abnormal dilation of an artery, which presents as a local swelling of the wall. This is a point of weakness in the artery, which can eventually rupture and cause internal bleeding – this is the ruptured aneurysm. It is estimated that 2-3% of the population suffers from cerebral aneurysm.

However, masturbation, like any slightly sustained physical activity, is likely to cause an increase in blood pressure. In people with a brain aneurysm, such a spike in blood pressure is likely to cause a hemorrhagic stroke. An absolute emergency, often fatal.

We have the age of our arteries

While the aneurysm can be silent for years, there are some symptoms that warrant caution. The young woman seized in action suffered, for example, from unusual headaches shortly before her death. Other signs may suggest swelling of the aneurysm, such as neurological problems or nausea and vomiting.

The aneurysm can be linked to a congenital malformation, but like all vascular diseases, it is also favored by tobacco consumption, diabetes, or even age. Although very young, our unfortunate onanist smoked for example two packs a day, specifies Marc Gozlan.

When the little death joins the big one

The prevention of aneurysm is mainly done by reducing risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure. However, in the event of an unbroken aneurysm, discovered incidentally or on consultation, it is possible to resort to surgical treatments intended to seal the aneurysm and to reconstruct the wall of the artery.

What lesson can we learn from this story? In 1899, Félix Faure, then President of the French Republic, suffered from “cerebral congestion” – today we would speak of stroke – when he received his mistress at the Elysee Palace. He died a few hours later to have, as a newspaper of the time nicely wrote, ” too much sacrificed to Venus “. There are sacrifices that are worth it.