7 things you need to know about Haemorrhagic Stroke on World Stroke Day

24 Oct

It can all seem a little overwhelming, can’t it!

But that’s why we try have tried to make it as easy as possible for you in this blog as we take you through the top 7 things you need to know about haemorrhagic stroke (brain haemorrhage). with everything from causes, treatment, prevention and more.

1. THE FACTS

Did you know that 4.6 million people suffer from a brain haemorrhage every year, killing 3 MILLION PEOPLE (Source: World Stroke Organisation), with only 3 out of 5 people surviving within one month of suffering from one.

These stats are frightening, but what's worse is that these stats haven’t changed in over 40 years.

2. WHAT IS A HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE?

A brain haemorrhage, or a Haemorrhagic stroke, is when you have bleeding in or around the brain. This is different to an ISCHAEMIC Stroke, which is due to a blockage in the blood supply to the brain. This type of stroke accounts for around 85% of strokes. (Source: Stroke Association)

3. WHAT CAUSES A HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE?

Haemorrhagic strokes can have different causes (see below) but there are some things that can make you more likely to have a haemorrhagic stroke, such as high blood pressure, and a build-up of fatty material in your arteries.

Cerebral small vessel disease: This is when there is damage to very small blood vessels in your brain. This can lead to blood leaking into the brain tissue, often deep inside the brain. High blood pressure is the leading cause of small vessel disease in the brain, over a long period, high blood pressure damages the blood vessels inside your brain reducing blood flow to your brain cells and can cause brain haemorrhages.
Abnormal blood vessels in the brain: Rare abnormalities in the blood vessels of the brain can sometimes be a cause. These are known as vascular malformations, and they can include tangles of blood vessels or enlarged blood vessels, making them weak and susceptible to bleeding.
A Burst Aneursym: An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel. The walls of an aneurysm are weak, and they sometimes burst as the blood passes through the vessel, causing bleeding into the layer of fluid around the brain. Exactly what causes the wall of affected blood vessels to weaken is still unclear, although risk factors have been identified. These include: smoking, high blood pressure, a family history of brain aneurysms.

4. HOW DO YOU DIAGNOSE A BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE?

Time is critically important when someone has had a brain haemorrhage. The most typical symptom of a haemorrhagic stroke is a sudden, severe headache, sometimes called a thunderclap headache. Other common symptoms are a stiff neck, nausea and vomiting.

You can also have any of the signs of stroke in the FAST test:

Facial weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms?
Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
Time to call 999: if you see any of these signs.

5. ARE THERE ANY TREATMENTS AVAILABLE POST A BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE?

Depending on the cause, the size of the bleed, the amount of pressure built up, as well as other factors e.g. blood pressure, age etc, the treatment will vary, but could include surgery on the affected area and/or medication.

Currently only 3 out of 5 people will survive within one month of having a brain haemorrhage and so this is why new treatment is vital.

We are so proud of the research being done at Manchester University into finding better treatment after brain haemorrhage and particularly the work by Adrian Parry Jones, who ground breaking treatment has proven to increase survival rates at 1 month by 10%.

6. CAN YOU PREVENT A BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE?

The best way to prevent a Hemorrhagic Stoke, or reduce the risk of an aneurysm growing bigger and possibly rupturing, is to avoid activities that could damage your blood vessels, such as smoking, eating a high-fat diet, not controlling high blood pressure, being overweight or obese.

Not all brain haemorrhages are preventable, but many are. High blood pressure is a leading cause of lifestyle related brain haemorrhages and it can be a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, but not always. People who are young, fit and well can also have high blood pressure and this is why it is so important to CHECK YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE OFTEN.

This is why we are running our PREVENTION campaign to encourage more people to check their blood pressure and understand how to manage it. For more information on this campaign, click here.

6. DOES STRESS CAUSE A BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE?

Research shows that stress is a key contributor to high blood pressure and therefore managing it is key to maintaining a normal blood pressure.

But, unfortunately, our modern lifestyles are filled with a significant amount of stress. Too much stress. And too much stress (also known as chronic stress) can be a major contributor to high blood pressure, something that STROKE UK has highlighted as being the leading cause of lifestyle related brain haemorrhages.

For 5 ways to manage stress click here.

7. WHAT CHANGES CAN I MAKE TO MY LIFESTYLE TO HELP PREVENT A BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE?

By focusing on managing your blood pressure, you will support yourself in preventing a brain haemorrhage. Look at these 6 key lifestyle habits and consider what positive changes you can make.