Cerebral haemorrhage: causes and clinical features
Very often one hears about cerebral haemorrhage, but in fact one does not always know what exactly it is. Yet it is a condition in which anyone can find themselves, since the main cause is a head injury, especially in people under 50 years of age
However, this is not the only cause, there are others due to both congenital and environmental factors.
In any case, it is always better to be aware of this type of problem so that you can eventually recognise it for yourself and for others.
So let us understand its causes, its incidence, how to prevent it and possibly how to treat it.
Cerebral haemorrhage, what it is
Cerebral haemorrhage is a pathological condition in which there is a sudden leakage of blood from a vessel inside the brain.
This leakage can be more or less substantial and can affect either an arterial or a venous vessel.
In concrete terms, a vessel ruptures for various reasons that we will see, usually an artery, and there is a blood spillage, which clearly causes various problems.
The causes can be various, from trauma due to accidents or problems such as emboli or even congenital malformations.
Then there are other causes such as hypertension or poor blood clotting that can lead to a cerebral haemorrhage.
Not all symptoms are the same; these depend in essence on the cause and the extent of the blood spillage in the brain.
Once the problem occurs, action must be taken as quickly as possible to stem the damage.
Intensive treatment is usually successful, but this is mainly due to the general condition and age of the person affected.
Usually, brain haemorrhage causes acute neurological deficits and recovery depends on what we have said, the age and condition of the patient.
Causes of cerebral haemorrhage and main risk factors
Of all the causes of cerebral haemorrhage, high blood pressure is undoubtedly one of the main risk factors, we are talking about a 70% incidence.
The arteries of the brain, in fact, due to high blood pressure values, can undergo significant changes in structure, changes that can lead to rupture.
For this reason, it is always a good idea to keep a check on blood pressure, if necessary also with a Holter blood pressure monitor; it will be the attending physician who will determine whether this is necessary and, if so, also recommend a check with the Holter heart monitor.
In the case of a ruptured artery due to hypertension, a stroke is possible
If, on the other hand, the artery swells, it is an aneurysm usually due to a genetic predisposition.
Then there are other causes including the deposition of amyloid substance within the walls of blood vessels, in which case it is amyloid angiopathy.
Head trauma, on the other hand, as we have seen, is very frequent in individuals under 50 years of age, and head trauma means trauma due to an accident of various kinds.
Still among the causes we find plateletopenias and coagulation disorders, but also haemophilia or leukaemia, liver disease and brain tumours.
In some cases, even certain treatments with anticoagulant drugs can lead to a brain haemorrhage.
How to recognise symptoms
It is not always easy to recognise the symptoms of this problem because very often, they appear suddenly and can worsen very quickly. Moreover, they can vary depending on the location of the haemorrhage, whether it occurred in more or less superficial areas.
Brain haemorrhage is very risky and is considered an emergency.
The blood that pours and accumulates in the brain can compress the brain tissue to the point of substantially restricting the blood supply.
Intracranial pressure increases and one may even lose consciousness, leading to coma and ultimately death.
A severe and sudden headache may be one of the symptoms.
Other common symptoms include tingling and numbness of the face or limbs, most often only one side, temporary loss of vision, difficulty speaking, writing or reading, difficulty swallowing, and tremors in the upper limbs.
If any of these symptoms are detected, an examination should be carried out as soon as possible.
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Diagnosis of cerebral haemorrhage
A diagnosis can be made by a CT scan, computed tomography, which also makes it possible to assess the exact extent of any neurological lesions.
An angiography, on the other hand, can detect aneurysms, brain tumours or malformations of the veins and arteries.
Magnetic resonance imaging is used to check for resorption of the haematoma, if any.
Spinal tap, on the other hand, a lumbar puncture, is performed periodically in at-risk patients to check for blood in the spinal fluid.
What treatment is recommended
Needless to say, the type of therapy varies depending on the type of haemorrhage.
Generally, pharmacological treatment is opted for in less serious cases and the surgical option is left for more complex ones.
In any case, one must first understand the cause and then act accordingly to reduce the risk of expanding blood loss.
With regard to pharmaceutical therapy
Antihypertensives are usually prescribed in the most acute phases, in order to stabilise blood flow in the brain.
Depending on the circumstance, painkillers and diuretics may be administered.
Surgery is used if the haematoma is larger than 3 cm or if a structural lesion or lobar haemorrhage is diagnosed, especially if the patient is young.
The ability to recover depends on several factors, the patient’s age and state of health.
However, it remains good advice to alert the doctor promptly.
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