Can you survive a Brain Haemorrhage?
Life after a brain haemorrhage is a journey that’s different for everyone, which brings a lot of uncertainty.
Can a brain haemorrhage can be treated? And can you fully recover? In this article Mary Newland from The University of Manchester breaks down the facts on survival, what recovery looks like, and highlight what’s being done to help patients.
Written by Mary Newland: PhD Student at the University of Manchester; Brain Inflammation Group, Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre
Can you survive a Brain Haemorrhage?
Brain haemorrhage, although less common than other types of stroke, is the most lethal and debilitating. About one-third of patients don't survive the first month after their bleed, and three-quarters of those who do face life-altering disabilities. Sadly, survival rates haven’t improved much in the past 30 years, with limited progress in treatments compared to other stroke types.
Can Brain Haemorrhage be treated?
The current approach to treatment involves immediate care by specialists and sometimes surgery to remove the blood and reduce brain swelling. However, there’s no single treatment that significantly improves how well a patient will recover.
But is there hope for treating a brain haemorrhage?
“Many factors, like the size of the bleed, where it happens in the brain, age, and swelling affect how well a patient will recover. While some of these can’t be changed, acting quickly is crucial (‘time equals brain’), and managing blood pressure, swelling and inflammation are all possible targets for treatments.”
Despite the lack of specific drugs for brain haemorrhages, appropriate acute stroke care can make a big difference. Dr. Adrian Parry-Jones and his team at Salford Royal NHS foundation trust introduced a new approach called the ABC care bundle, reducing deaths from brain haemorrhage by a third. This approach focuses on reducing bleeding (A for anticoagulant reversal), blood pressure lowering (B), and getting patients the right care fast (C). Given the success of the ABC care bundle locally, there are promising plans to implement it across the UK.
In terms of finding treatments, there’s a gap between what happens in the lab and what happens in clinical trials. Bridging this gap requires a better understanding of the complex changes in the brain after haemorrhagic stroke. With scientists and healthcare professionals working together, there’s hope to find new treatments and ultimately improve patient lives.
Can you fully recover from a Brain Haemorrhage?
But what about returning to life after a brain haemorrhage? Recovery varies from person to person – some may regain independence within weeks to months while, for others, this may take years and life could look very different. The speed of recovery is again influenced by bleed size, location, swelling, age, and timely intervention.
The brain has a remarkable ability to repair itself, especially with the right therapy, through a process called neuroplasticity. The brain can rewire itself to form new connections and work around the injury, where cells have died or been damaged. Rehabilitation plays an important role in promoting neuroplasticity, helping patients relearn tasks like walking and talking.
The location of the bleed in the brain determines the symptoms and challenges a survivor may face. For example, a bleed within the region of the brain controlling motor function region would result in movement difficulties, while a bleed in the area controlling thinking and memory would cause problems with perception, problem-solving, planning, attention, and communication.
Recovery isn’t just about the more visible physical symptoms; a bleed can also damage areas of the brain controlling mood and emotions. As many as a third of stroke survivors suffer with depression, resulting from both a life-altering event and damage to the brain itself. Psychological problems were listed at the top of 10 priorities for rehabilitation and long-term care of stroke survivors (for the full list, visit here). Recognising and managing these emotional aspects is a crucial part of the recovery process.
In short, life after brain haemorrhage presents unique challenges and a lot of uncertainty for patients about treatment and recovery. Although survival rates have been stagnant, and treatments limited, efforts like the ABC care bundle and collaborative research (like the growing team in Manchester!) are promising. Recovery varies between patients, but rehabilitation plays a vital role. With continued research and care guided by patient needs, there’s hope for improving outcomes after brain haemorrhage.
At The Natalie Kate Moss Trust our aim to prevent as many brain haemorrhages from happening as possible but it is vital to find better treatments to improve survival rates for those we can’t prevent.
Will you support this research by donating as little as the price of a coffee today (£3) and help to stop 3 million lives being lost every year as a result of a brain haemorrhage.