Cerebral Hemorrhage Prognosis

Cerebral hemorrhage is the rupture of an artery or blood vessel in the brain that leads to internal bleeding and brain damage. Cerebral hemorrhage is also called brain hemorrhage, hemorrhagenic cerebrum or cerebral bleed. The following paragraphs will cover some information related to cerebral hemorrhage prognosis, and also learn about the causes, symptoms and treatment for the same.

Cerebral Hemorrhage Prognosis
There are different types of cerebral hemorrhage that can affect an individual. We shall see the cerebral hemorrhage prognosis according to the different types of hemorrhages that occur. These types of cerebral hemorrhages include:

Epidural Hemorrhage
This hemorrhage involves bleeding that occurs between the brain covering and skull. The symptoms develop rapidly and results in brief loss of consciousness. The cerebral hemorrhage prognosis in this case is about 15 to 20% patients die even with proper medical care. Most of the other patients who lose their consciousness never are able to regain their orientation.

Subdural Hematoma
This condition occurs due to trauma caused to the head by a blunt object. The bleeding occurs between the dura mater and the brain proper. Subdural hematoma is divided into acute, sub-acute or chronic hematoma. These are classified according to initial injury and the symptom development.

In case of acute subdural hematoma, the symptoms develop within 24 hours of injury. The cerebral hemorrhage prognosis in this case has 50 to 80% mortality rate. The symptoms of sub acute subdural hematoma develop in about 2 to 19 days of initial traumatic brain injury. This hemorrhage has 25% mortality rate. The cerebral hemorrhage prognosis in case of chronic subdural hematoma is 20% mortality rate and the symptoms develop after about 2 weeks.

Subrachnoid Hemorrhage
Bleeding into the cerebrospinal fluid is known as subarachnoid hemorrhage. The symptoms of this type of cerebral hemorrhage includes sudden and severe headache. This headache is generally localized that may spread and turn into a dull, throbbing pain. It is also accompanied by nausea, severe neck pain, confusion, seizures, dizziness and unresponsive patients. 5 to 10% of strokes are due to subarachnoid hemorrhages according to the American Stroke Association. The cerebral hemorrhage prognosis in this case has a slight chance of turning fatal.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Bleeding within the brain is called intracerebral hemorrhage. This type of hemorrhage can occur anywhere within the brain and is caused by an aneurysm or brain injury trauma. Other causes may include high blood pressure. The bleeding tends to irritate the brain tissues that leads to brain swelling. This swelling forms a mass called hematoma that increases the pressure on the brain tissues. This pressure causes damage to the tissues. If the patient receives immediate medical care, the cerebral hemorrhage prognosis for this case is very good.

Cerebral Hemorrhage Causes
The cerebral hemorrhage causes includes many risk factors some of which are given as follows:

• Head Trauma: Head injury is one of the most common causes of cerebral hemorrhages especially in people who are under the age of 50.
• High Blood Pressure: Chronic high blood pressure that is left untreated, may lead to brain hemorrhage.
• Aneurysm: A weak blood vessel wall may burst, leading to bleeding within the brain. This bleeding may increase the chances of developing a stroke.
• Amyloid Angiopathy: Abnormality in blood vessel wall mostly due to aging may lead to small bleeds that go unnoticed. When one does experience the symptoms of internal bleeding within the brain, the condition has flared up to cerebral hemorrhage.
• Blood Vessel Abnormalities: Congenital abnormalities or weakness in the blood vessels may lead to cerebral hemorrhage. This blood vessel abnormality is generally overlooked, until and unless the symptoms develop.
• Brain Tumor: Brain cancer or tumor within the brain may cause rupture of an artery and lead to cerebral hemorrhage.

Risk factors that increase the chances of cerebral hemorrhage is hypertension, diabetes, menopause, cigarette smoking and alcoholism. Other causes of cerebral hemorrhage include decreased levels of blood platelets, hemophilia, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, liver disease, etc.

Cerebral Hemorrhage Symptoms
The cerebral hemorrhage symptoms includes loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, sudden onset of painful headaches, numbness, weakness, paralysis, loss of vision, speech and confusion. Some may even experience seizures as a sign of cerebral hemorrhage. Other symptoms may include:

• Sleepiness
• Lethargy
• Coma
• Difficulty in swallowing, writing, reading, speaking or understanding speech
• Loss of coordination
• Loss of balance
• Hand tremor
• Loss of fine motor skills
• Abnormal sensations
• Tingling
• Facial paralysis
• Double vision
• Change in pupil size
• Drooping eyelids
• Uncontrollable eye movements

Cerebral Hemorrhage Treatment
The cerebral hemorrhage treatment depends upon the location, cause, and the level of hemorrhage. Cerebral hemorrhage requires immediate medical attention. Surgery is often the only option is the hematoma is more than 3 cm in size. A catheter is passed through the brain vasculature and used to close off or dilate blood vessels. This is procedure that is generally used to avoid invasive surgical procedures. Medications for cerebral hemorrhage treatment involves anticonvulsants that control seizures, corticosteroids, diuretics and pain killers. Other treatments depend upon the patients condition and type of hemorrhage.

The cerebral hemorrhage prognosis generally depends upon the size of hematomata and the swelling. Some lucky few recover completely without any permanent or temporary brain damage. However, some develop permanent loss of brain function that may lead to certain disabilities. If prompt medical treatment is not provided, death is the ultimate prognosis. The amount of blood bleeding into the brain and the region of bleeding decide the recovery time and level of the patient. If one suffers from any of the risk factors that may lead to brain hemorrhage, should undergo regular medical check up to reduce the chances of developing hemorrhage.

DISCLAIMER
The information offered on this site is not to be used as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment. The reader is advised to consult with a medical consultant before taking any home remedies, supplements or following any treatment advised by anyone on this site. A medical consultant will be able to provide the reader with an advice that is safe and effective for an individual's specific needs and diagnose a particular health problem based on their personal medical history.