Cerebral Hemorrhage Symptoms

What is Cerebral Hemorrhage?

It is also known as brain hemorrhage. The other names of this condition are intracranial hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage. When an artery in the brain bursts, it leads to localized bleeding in the surrounding tissues. The spread of blood in the surrounding tissues often causes the brain cells to be killed. To be more precise, the bleeding happens in one tissue and it spreads further to other tissues. The word hemorrhage has Greek roots. Hemo in Greek stands for blood. The literal meaning of the term hemorrhage is 'blood bursting forth'. Now that we have been introduced to this condition, we will see the symptoms, causes and treatment.

Cerebral Hemorrhage Causes

The causes of brain hemorrhage are many. The most common cause is trauma to the brain. Brain injury often times causes internal bleeding in the brain. If a person has been suffering from high blood pressure for a very long time, it can weaken the walls of the blood vessel. Weakening of the walls can give cause bleeding in the brain. Another cause is weakening of the blood vessels, which leads to swelling of the blood vessels. When the vessels swell too much it can burst causing the blood to move in the adjoining areas of the brain, which in turn can lead to a stroke. Due to aging, abnormality can be caused in the walls of the blood vessels. Normally, it starts with small or unnoticed bleeds before large bleeds occur. One of the causes of intracranial hemorrhage is hemophilia. It can also be caused due to sickle-cell anemia. In both these conditions, it can lead to decreased levels of blood platelets. Patients suffering from brain tumors can also suffer from this condition.

Cerebral Hemorrhage Symptoms

The symptoms of brain hemorrhage vary depending on the location of the bleeding. Severity of the bleeding and the amount of surrounding tissues affected by the hemorrhage also have a role to play. The symptoms can develop over a time or they can develop suddenly as well. The prognosis of this condition varies in different patients.

• The most common symptom is a sudden and severe headache.
• Along with headache, the person may suffer from seizures, although the person may not have any previous history of seizures.
• Nausea or vomiting can also be a symptom of brain hemorrhage.
• Among the most visible symptoms is change in vision. The person may black out for no apparent reason.
• Tingling sensation, numbness in different parts of the body, weakness in any one of the arms and legs, etc. are also symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage.
• The person may find it difficult to read, write, speak, comprehend, disorientation etc., when he is suffering from brain hemorrhage.
• Loss of fine motor skills, balance, coordination, etc. are also points towards intracranial hemorrhage.

Cerebral Hemorrhage Treatment

To decide the line of treatment, a CT scan has to be conducted on the patient. Normally blood appears brighter in the affected area. Often the tissue that surrounds the bleed is less dense as compared to the other parts of the brain due to edema in the said tissue, hence the affected part appears darker in the CT scan. Depending on the part of the brain affected, medication and/or surgery is the line of treatment chosen. Surgery may be required, if the bleed is larger than 3 cm in size. The edema can be reduced using a catheter to avoid invasive surgical procedure.

If one suffers from high blood pressure, hemophilia, sickle-cell anemia, etc., it is important to take measures for cerebral hemorrhage prevention. If the patient suffers from any of the symptoms, it is extremely important, that the patient seeks medical help immediately to avoid any complications. It is best to let the health care professional assess the condition of the patient and decide the line of treatment.

Disclaimer: The information given in this write-up is for informational purposes and should not be considered as medical advice.