What is cerebral hemorrhage?

Written by Jiang Fang Shuai

Neurosurgery

Updated on September 01, 2024

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The term "cerebral hemorrhage" usually refers to bleeding caused by non-traumatic rupture of brain blood vessels. The causes include hypertension, arteriosclerosis, amyloid angiopathy, and vascular malformations, among others, often occurring during excessive fatigue, emotional excitement, or strenuous defecation. Clinically, it has a high rate of self-harm, and most survivors suffer from varying degrees of brain dysfunction. Additionally, some cases of cerebral hemorrhage are caused by trauma; the treatment principles and prognosis for these patients are similar to those for non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhages.

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Written by Tang Li Li

Neurology

55sec

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What are the symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage?

Patients with cerebral hemorrhage typically experience sudden headaches during physical activity or emotional excitation as their initial symptom, which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In severe cases, vomiting can be projectile, consisting of stomach contents. If the patient has stress ulcers leading to bleeding and erosion of the gastric mucosa, they may vomit a coffee-ground-like liquid, which is a mixture of gastric juices and blood. Additionally, patients may also exhibit disturbances in consciousness, such as drowsiness, stupor, or even coma. If the patient is conscious, one may observe hemiplegia or paralysis, sometimes accompanied by speech impairments or psychiatric symptoms. Some patients may also experience epileptic seizures.

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Written by Zhang Hui

Neurology

1min 9sec

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How to Prevent Cerebral Hemorrhage

To understand how to prevent cerebral hemorrhage, we need to clarify what causes it. Generally, the most common cause of cerebral hemorrhage is hypertension. Long-term hypertension can lead to hyaline degeneration of the walls of small arteries and occlusion necrosis. Over time, small arteries rupture, leading to cerebral hemorrhage. Other blood system diseases, such as leukemia, deficiency of clotting factors, some tumors, and cerebral vascular malformations, can also cause cerebral hemorrhage. Therefore, the most important preventive measure is to actively control blood pressure. Regularly, one must maintain a low-salt, low-fat diet, engage in appropriate physical activities, enhance physical fitness, avoid smoking, and abstain from alcohol to effectively prevent hypertension and avoid hypertension-induced cerebral hemorrhage. For cerebral hemorrhage caused by other reasons, regular health check-ups should be done, including complete blood counts and coagulation tests, to rule out blood diseases causing cerebral hemorrhage.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai

Neurosurgery

1min 15sec

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Causes of cerebral hemorrhage

Any cause of cerebral vascular rupture and bleeding is called cerebral hemorrhage, including traumatic cerebral hemorrhage and non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhage. Traumatic cerebral hemorrhage, as the name suggests, is caused by head trauma, while the most common cause of non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhage is hypertension. Under the long-term impact of high blood pressure and high blood flow, numerous microaneurysms form in the brain's blood vessels. When blood pressure suddenly increases under certain conditions, these microaneurysms may rupture and bleed. The second most common cause is cerebral amyloid angiopathy, where blood vessels become aged, brittle, and weak, leading to rupture and bleeding. The third most common cause includes intracranial aneurysms and vascular malformations, which also partly cause hemorrhage. The fourth most common cause involves intracranial tumors, meningiomas, melanomas, and others. The fifth most common cause is related to hematological disorders, such as leukemia and deficiencies in clotting factors. Lastly, another cause is the prolonged use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications, which also contribute to cerebral hemorrhage.

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Written by Zhang Hui

Neurology

1min 5sec

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Early warning signs of cerebral hemorrhage

Cerebral hemorrhage is an emergency in neurology, typically presenting acutely with little to no warning signs. Patients usually experience rapid onset of symptoms including headache, nausea, vomiting, and paralysis of limbs. A detailed look at the patient's medical history may reveal some prodromal symptoms such as recent overexertion, emotional excitement, lack of rest, or constipation, which are common triggers. If a patient experiences repeated chronic headaches and general weakness, these could be the mechanical prodromal symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage. A significant fluctuation in blood pressure should also raise concerns about the possibility of a cerebral hemorrhage. Once a cerebral hemorrhage occurs, it is crucial to promptly seek hospital treatment. If the volume of the hemorrhage is substantial, it poses a life-threatening risk to the patient and surgical treatment may be necessary. If the hemorrhage is smaller, conservative treatment may suffice, focusing on bed rest, maintaining emotional stability, and administering neuroprotective medications.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei

Neurosurgery

41sec

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Causes of cerebral hemorrhage

There are many causes of cerebral hemorrhage. In most cases, given that patients themselves already have certain underlying diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and arteriosclerosis, the blood pressure remains high over a long period. This causes the blood vessels to be in a constant state of tension. Over time, the vessels' ability to regulate and contract gradually weakens. When certain triggers occur, such as the patient experiencing fatigue, mental stress, or emotional excitement, the blood pressure temporarily spikes, exceeding the vessels' regulatory capacity, leading to the rupture of the blood vessels and causing cerebral hemorrhage.