Table of Contents
Introduction
A brain bleed, or a brain haemorrhage, refers to bleeding between the brain tissue & the skull or inner side of the brain tissue. It is a life-threatening state that requires urgent medical attention.
Your brain depends on blood vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients. When a brain haemorrhage occurs, it cuts off oxygen to the brain and leaks blood into the area between the skull and your brain.
The bleeding accumulates in puddles within your skull and causes pressure, which prevents oxygen from reaching brain tissues.
Common causes of brain bleeds are falls or trauma to the skull from an injury. People with unmanaged high blood pressure are also at risk of brain haemorrhage.
Types of Brain Bleeds
- Bleeding the inner side of the skull but outside the brain tissue. The brain contains three membrane layers, which are called meninges. The meninges cover & shield the brain from injury. Those layers are situated between the skull bone & the brain tissue itself. A brain haemorrhage may happen anywhere inside these three membranes: the dura mater, arachnoid, & pia mater.
- Epidural haemorrhage – This type of bleed occurs between the skull bone & the dura mater (outermost) membrane level
- Subdural haemorrhage – This brain bleed takes place between the dura mater (outermost) and the arachnoid membrane
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage – This type of brain bleed occurs in the middle of the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater
- Bleeding inside the brain tissue: Two types of brain bleeds may occur inside the brain tissue. One is a cerebral haemorrhage, and the other is a hemorrhagic stroke.
- Intracerebral haemorrhage – Bleeding that occurs in the cerebellum of the brain (including the brainstem)
- Intraventricular haemorrhage – Bleeds originate in the brain cavities where cerebrospinal fluid is produced.
Brain haemorrhage attack
A hemorrhagic stroke is when there’s out-of-hand bleeding inside of your brain itself or in the space in the middle of your brain and its outer covering layer. This kind of stroke is severe and may get worse quickly. Immediate medical attention is critical to avoid permanent brain damage or death.
Brain hemorrhage symptom
Signs of a brain bleed vary based on the type but could include:
- Sudden tingling, weakness, numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, particularly on one side of your body.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Sudden, severe headache.
- Confusion.
- Dizziness.
- Slurred speech.
- Lack of energy, sleepiness.
In addition, you may experience:
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Vision loss.
- Stiff neck.
- Sensitivity to light.
- Loss of balance or coordination.
- Trouble breathing and abnormal heart rate.
- Seizures.
- Loss of consciousness and coma.
Brain haemorrhage cause
A leaky, broken or burst blood vessel source a brain bleed. As a result, excess blood pools in the brain. A brain bleed may happen after:
- A blood clot.
- A buildup of fatty deposits in arteries (atherosclerosis).
- Head trauma (car accident, a fall, sports injury, etc.).
- A frail spot in a blood vessel wall (cerebral aneurysm).
- A buildup or growth of protein within the artery walls of your brain (cerebral amyloid angiopathy).
- A leak from abnormally formed link between arteries and veins (arteriovenous malformation, or AVM).
- A brain tumour.
A brain bleed may affect anyone at any age, from newborns to adults. It’s more ordinary among adults over age 65. You can be more at risk of a brain bleed if you observe the following:
- Substance use disorder.
- High blood pressure (hypertension).
- Tobacco use.
- Pregnancy and childbirth-related issues (eclampsia, postpartum vasculopathy or neonatal intraventricular haemorrhage).
- Bleeding conditions or conditions that require treatment with blood thinners (anticoagulants).
- Conditions that affect how the blood vessel walls form.
How long can you live after a brain haemorrhage?
Brain haemorrhages or haemorrhagic strokes:– are produced by bleeding in & around the brain. They are more severe than strokes caused by a blockage. Around one-third of sufferers don’t survive longer than a month, & many who do survive are left with lifelong disabilities.
What are the chances of a second brain haemorrhage?
One risk that may be associated with a second brain haemorrhage is that you may experience increased anxiety and stress levels.
Along with that, the chances of a second brain haemorrhage are high if you have any of the following: high blood pressure, a history of stroke, diabetes, or a family history of haemorrhages.
Brain haemorrhage recovery time
The time required for recovery depends on the type of bleeding. Different factors, including stroke, trauma, and aneurysm, can cause a brain haemorrhage. It can cause various symptoms, including confusion, headache, loss of consciousness, and seizures. Brain haemorrhage requires a longer time to heal than other types of haemorrhages. It is essential that you take care of your brain and do not assume that all kinds of brain haemorrhage require the same amount of time for recovery.
The length of time necessary for recovery varies depending on the type of brain haemorrhage and other factors such as age and general health of the patient. It takes about three weeks for a mild case to recover completely, whereas it takes about six weeks for a moderate case to heal completely.
Brain haemorrhage survival rate
Brain bleeding may be life-threatening, with an estimated five-year survival rate of about 26.7 percentage. The prognosis depends on the location & severity of the bleeding and the amount of swelling that results from the bleeding.
Can Brain Hemorrhages Be Prevented?
Because the majority of brain haemorrhages are related to specific risk factors, you may minimize the risk in the following ways:
- Treat high blood pressure. Studies show that 80% of cerebral haemorrhage patients have a history of high blood pressure. The most important thing you can do is control yourself through exercise, diet, & medication.
- Be a nonsmoker, or Don’t smoke.
- Don’t use drugs. Cocaine, for example, may increase the risk of bleeding in the brain.
- Every time you ride a motorcycle, bicycle, or skateboard, wear a helmet.
- Investigate corrective surgery. If you suffer from abnormalities, such as aneurysms, surgery may help to prevent future bleeding.
- Be careful with warfarin (Coumadin). If you take this blood-thinning drug, follow up regularly with the doctor to ensure your blood levels are in the correct range.
Intracranial hemorrhage treatment options
Brain haemorrhages are treated by conscientiously analyzing the brain using various imaging tests to determine or control the position of internal bleeding. Prompt diagnosis & medical treatment help limit damage to the brain & improve the chances of recovery.
Treatment options include the following:
1. Medications
- Anticonvulsants
- Antihypertensives
- Painkillers
- Corticosteroids
- Diuretics
- Antianxiety drugs
2. Surgery
- Surgery may be advocated to control bleeding and alleviate swelling
3. Long-term rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Changing lifestyle habits
4. Preventive measures
- Lower cholesterol levels
- Lose excess weight
- Limit alcohol
- Quit smoking
- Eat a healthy diet
- Exercise regularly
- Control blood sugar level
- Control blood pressure levels
Brain hemorrhage surgery
Surgery may treat a brain bleed to stop bleeding and address the fundamental cause. Surgery can include:
- Decompression: A physician will drill a hole or hollow in the skull to drain blood & relieve pressure.
- Craniectomy: A physician will remove a piece of the skull to relieve pressure. Once the skull is open, the doctor can treat the source of the brain bleed.
- Craniotomy: A physician will remove and replace a piece of the skull to relieve pressure & manage the source or origin of bleeding.
Some brain haemorrhages don’t require surgery. The decision hang on the bleed’s size, cause, location, and other factors, such as general health.
Brain haemorrhage death is painful.
If not treated quickly, a brain bleed may lead to permanent brain damage or death. A shortfall of oxygen to the brain can destroy the brain cells and prevent them from communicating with other parts of your body. It affects how your body functions overall so that you may experience:
- Memory loss.
- Coordination and movement challenges.
- Difficulty with swallowing, speech and communication.
- Numbness or weakness in part of your body.
- Inability to move part of your body (paralysis).
- Vision loss.
- Personality changes and emotional changes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, A brain bleed, or a brain haemorrhage, refers to bleeding between the brain tissue & the skull or inner side of the brain tissue. It is a life-threatening state that requires urgent medical attention. Common causes of brain bleeds are falls or trauma to the skull from an injury. People with unmanaged high blood pressure are also at risk of brain haemorrhage. If not treated quickly, a brain bleed may lead to permanent brain damage or death. A shortfall of oxygen to the brain can destroy the brain cells and prevent them from communicating with other parts of your body.
