Hemorrhagic Strokes and Their Causes

Hemorrhagic Strokes

Hemorrhagic strokes are different from ischemic stroke in many ways.

A hemorrhagic stroke can occur when an aneurysm ( a blood-filled pouch that balloons out from an artery) ruptures, flooding the surrounding tissue with blood.

• The fatality rate is higher and overall prognosis poorer for those who have hemorrhagic strokes.
• People who have hemorrhagic strokes are younger.
• This kind of stroke is often associated with a severe headache, nausea and vomiting.

 Increasing the risk of hemorrhagic strokes are

• cigarette smoking
• use of oral contraceptives (particularly those with high estrogen content
• excessive alcohol intake
• use of illegal drugs

 There are two kinds of hemorrhagic stroke.  In both, a blood vessel ruptures, disrupting blood flow to part of the brain. 

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

A subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel on the surface of the brain ruptures and bleeds into the space between the brain and the skull.

• Estimated 30,000 per year in the U.S.
• 60% of patients do not survive.
• 50% of survivors are unable to resume former jobs, or suffer from cognitive deficits.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage

An intracerebral hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel bleeds into the tissue deep with-in the brain.  This type of hemorrhage is responsible for about 10 percent of all strokes.  Chronically high blood pressure or aging blood vessels are the main cause of this type of stroke.