Brain hemorrhage is the copious discharge of blood from the blood vessels over the surface of the brain due to head injuries, high blood pressure or some types of stroke. The bleeding kills brain cells because vital blood flow to the brain is interrupted. Brain hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel bursts inside the brain, between the brain and meninges, one of the three membranes that envelop the brain; between the layers of the tissues that cover the brain; or between the skull and the outer layer of the tissue covering the brain.
Head Injuries
A head injury is any head trauma that includes injury to the scalp, skull or brain. According to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, “For people under the age of 50, this is the most common cause of bleeding inside the skull.” The major causes of head injuries include traffic accidents, falls from the window or around the house, physical assault and sports injuries.
A severe head injury can move the brain inside the skull at the time of the impact, resulting in bleeding, tearing of blood vessels and brain swelling. The swelling of the brain increases the intracranial pressure, which prevents the oxygen-rich blood from flowing to the brain. Brain cells begin to die after several minutes without oxygen, according to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Cerebral Aneurysm
A cerebral or brain aneurysm is an abnormal blood-filled bulge of a blood vessel resulting from the weakening of the blood vessel wall. The thin walls of these ballooning aneurysms can burst and the blood can spew out into the surrounding tissues of the brain, leading to nerve damage, strokes or death. Aneurysms typically do not cause symptoms, according to Medline Plus. People may experience some warning signs minutes to weeks before the rupture actually takes place. These symptoms include severe headache, pain above and behind the eyes, blurred vision or double vision, droopy eyelid, dilated pupils and loss of sensation.
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is the buildup of amyloid proteins in the walls of the blood vessels in the brain, which causes breakdown of blood vessel walls with resultant hemorrhage. It occurs with increasing frequency with aging. The abnormality of blood vessel walls can lead to many small bleeds which may go unnoticed or may be tolerated until it ruptures a large vein, causing excessive bleeding.
References
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center: Brain Hemorrhage
- Family Doctor: Head Injuries: What to Watch for Afterward
- Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: Traumatic Brain Injury
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center: Cerebral Aneurysms and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Traumatic Brain Injury: Hope Through Research
