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There are several types of brain hemorrhages because there can be bleeding in different parts of the brain. Many of the symptoms for the various types are very similar. But with the use of tests such as a neurological exam, laboratory testing, CT scan or MRI, physicians will be able to determine which type has occurred. Subdural Hematoma This type of hemorrhage occurs if you have trauma to your head that causes the bridging veins to rupture. It develops underneath the dura, or a layer of the membrane that covers your brain. The risk factors for this type of brain hemorrhage include being a boxer, elderly or a chronic alcoholic. Allan Ropper, M.D., Executive Vice-Chair of the Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School writes in "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine" that most likely, you will feel drowsy as soon as you are injured. But sometimes, it can be weeks before you have any symptoms. This is more so the case for the elderly or the chronic alcoholic. The hemorrhage can even be the result of only a minor trauma. The symptoms may include confusion, headache, drowsiness and weakness on one side of the body. Epidural Hematoma An epidural hematoma is a brain hemorrhage that is caused by a tear in the middle meningeal artery. Like the subdural hematoma, it is usually due to head trauma, but this hemorrhage develops on top of the dura. You may have what is referred to as a "lucid interval," a period of time where you are lucid or mentally alert. This period may last for only several minutes or for as long as several hours. You will usually then have a headache, be mentally confused and weak on one side of your body. Intraparenchymal Hemorrhage This describes a hemorrhage that takes place within the parenchyma of the brain, or within the brain itself. Also called an intracerebral hemorrhage, it is usually caused by hypertension, arteriovenous malformations, amyloid or a tumor. Hypertension places too much blood pressure within the cerebral arteries, causing them to rupture. Elias Giraldo, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, explains in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals" that arteriovenous malformations are blood vessels that have abnormally increased in size and become all tangled up in each other. Amyloid is a protein; if it is deposited within the cerebral arteries, it will damage them. Amyloid angiopathy, or diseased blood vessels due to amyloid deposits, is usually seen in the elderly. Tumors can cause hemorrhage by pressing on the cerebral blood vessels. If you have an intraparenchymal hemorrhage, you may have a headache, vomiting, decreased alertness, weakness or decreased feelings of sensation on one side of your body. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage According to Dr. Giraldo, this hemorrhage is usually due to head trauma but can also be the result of a ruptured aneurysm. An aneurysm is when part of an artery is abnormally increased in size because of a weakness in its wall. The symptoms of a subarachnoid hemorrhage include a severe headache, stiffness around your neck, nausea and vomiting, fever and mental confusion. Intraventricular Hemorrhage An intraventricular hemorrhage is hemorrhaging into the ventricles of the brain. The ventricles are cavities that contain the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid circulates around the brain and spinal cord to cushion them as a means of providing protection. Premature babies are at risk of having this type of brain hemorrhage. |