|
Definition
Strokes
caused
by the
breakage
or "blowout" of
a blood
vessel
in the
brain are
called
hemorrhagic
strokes.
The medical
word for
this type
of breakage
is hemorrhage.
Hemorrhages
can be
caused
by a number
of disorders,
which affect
the blood
vessels,
including
long-standing
high blood
pressure
and cerebral
aneurysms.
An aneurysm
is a weak
or thin
spot on
a blood
vessel
wall. These
weak spots
are usually
present
at birth.
Aneurysms
develop
over a
number
of years
and usually
don't cause
detectable
problems
until they
break.
There are
two types
of hemorrhagic
stroke
subarachnoid
and intracerebral.
Cause(s)
In an intracerebral
hemorrhage
(ICH),
bleeding
occurs
from vessels
within
the brain
itself.
Hypertension
is the
primary
cause of
this type
of hemorrhage. In
a subarachnoid
hemorrhage
(SAH),
an aneurysm
bursts
in a large
artery
on or near
the thin,
delicate
membrane
surrounding
the brain.
Blood spills
into the
area around
the brain,
which is
filled
with a
protective
fluid,
causing
the brain
to be surrounded
by blood-contaminated
fluid.
|