Brain Bleed

Bleeding can occur anywhere in the body, and in the case of a brain bleed, a life-threatening hemorrhage could occur in the brain that must be managed rapidly.

Brain bleed

A brain bleed occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or leaks blood, and this blood will collect within the brain or skull, which causes pressure against the brain, and, therefore, oxygen and nutrients won’t reach the tissues and cells in the brain.

Intracranial hemorrhage is a medical emergency that must be managed quickly because the brain cells die after only 3-4 minutes without blood supply.

Causes and risk factors leading to brain bleed

Several reasons could cause a blood vessel to break or leak, such as:

• Head trauma.
• Blood clots.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Cerebral aneurysm (a weak spot in the blood vessel wall).
• Brain tumors.
• Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (a buildup of protein within the artery walls in the brain).
• Arteriovenous malformation (a leak from atypical connections that are formed between veins and arteries).

Factors that increase the risk of brain bleeds:

• Hypertension.
• Bleeding conditions or taking blood thinners.
• Smoking.
• Drug abuse.
• Pregnancy and pregnancy complications.
• Conditions that affect the formation of the blood vessels.

Symptoms of brain bleed

• Severe and sudden headache.
• Confusion and dizziness.
• Sudden numbness, tingling, or paralysis in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side.
• Slurred speech.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Weakness.
• Vision loss.
• Sensitivity to light.
• Neck stiffness.
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Imbalance.
• Seizures.
• Breathing and heartbeat problems.
• Fainting.
• Coma.
• If intracranial bleeding isn’t managed rapidly, it could lead to serious complications that could be permanent, such as memory loss, paralysis, vision loss, movement and coordination problems, and personality changes.

Diagnosis of brain bleed

• Physical exam.
• Neurological exam.
• Imaging tests.

Treatment of brain bleed

• Surgery.
• Medications.
• You can reduce the risk of brain bleed by managing the blood pressure, lowering the cholesterol levels, maintaining a healthy weight, following a healthy lifestyle, avoiding smoking, and limiting alcohol consumption.