If you are searching for these terms: brain haemorrhage doctors or the best doctor for brain haemorrhage, then the following information is for you.
What is a brain haemorrhage?
A brain haemorrhage is bleeding in and around the brain. Weak blood vessels, high blood pressure, trauma, brain injury and drug abuse can cause brain haemorrhage.
What are the symptoms of brain haemorrhage?
The symptoms of brain haemorrhage are similar to that of stroke-like numbness in hands and legs, weakness in the body, especially on one side, trouble speaking, walking, and difficulty in performing normal activities. Nearly about 10% of brain strokes fall under this category of strokes.
The symptoms of brain haemorrhage depend on the area of the brain that is affected. If the part of the brain that controls vision is involved, then there will be problems with vision; if the region that controls balance and coordination get affected, then there will be numbness or weakness in the arms and legs. Bleeding in the lower brain (brainstem) that controls most of the body functions, may lead to coma. Sometimes, the symptoms may come abruptly and become prominent and sometimes may progress very slowly.
Bleeding inside the brain does not cause any symptoms as the brain doesn’t have the ability to sense itself, but when bleeding occurs within the coverings of the brain – a very severe headache is eminent.
What are the types of brain haemorrhage?
Based on the position of their occurrence in brain, haemorrhages are of these types: intracranial – inside the skull; intracerebral – within the brain; subarachnoid – between the brain and its covering, and subdural or epidural – below or above the dura (covering of the brain).
What are the causes of brain haemorrhage?
There are many causes of brain haemorrhage including high blood pressure, weakening of arterial walls and formation of blood clots, brain aneurysm, arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and cancers that are metastatic. In addition, the deposition of amyloid proteins in the blood vessels in the elderly may lead to haemorrhagic stroke. Similarly, some prescription drugs and drug abuse can also increase the risk of brain stroke.
How is a brain haemorrhage diagnosed?
The physician after suspecting stroke evaluates the patient medically and if the examination reveals any sort of loss of sensations, disturbances in speech or weakness in the limbs, then radiological examination (CT or MRI) is advised to determine the location of bleeding.
Once the bleeding inside or around the brain is noted, the exact cause of bleeding needs to be determined – for which, additional tests may be recommended to know the presence of any abnormal blood vessels. Next, based on the diagnosis, treatment is planned.
What is the treatment?
Experienced neurologist who specializes in the treatment of brain haemorrhage monitor patients expeditiously. As an initial treatment modality, they stabilize and monitor breathing and blood pressure. To provide enough oxygen to the brain, they use a ventilator and give intravenous fluids. They give medications to the patient. Doctors monitor pressure inside the skull, blood oxygen levels and heart rhythms. After stabilizing the patient, subsequent measures to address the bleeding are taken very rapidly after thorough due diligence. Based on the size and location of the haemorrhage, surgical intervention may be decided.
During the course of the treatment brain haemorrhage doctors give several medicines to the patient to control swelling around the affected area. They give medicines to reduce pain, control blood pressure and to prevent seizures.
Dr Vikram Sharma
Consultant Neurologist
