What Are the Causes of a Hemorrhagic Stroke in the Brain Stem?

Hemorrhagic strokes can cause brain damage and even death. Of the various types of strokes, brain stem strokes pose the most immediate danger because the brain stem controls breathing and other critical body functions. A hemorrhagic brain stem stroke can send the patient into an immediate coma.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

• The Dana Foundation defines a hemorrhagic stroke as sudden, serious bleeding in or near the brain. While these strokes can strike anywhere in the brain, they commonly occur in the brain stem or other structures of the lower brain.

Aneurysm

• An aneurysm, a weakened area of an artery that may balloon and burst under pressure, can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.

Injury

• Head injuries can cause blood vessels to rupture, initiating a hemorrhagic stroke.

Health Risks

• Certain health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol can boost stroke risk.

Vasospasms

• The Dana Foundation warns that three to five days after a hemorrhagic stroke, spasms in the brain arteries called vasospasms may cause a second stroke.