What Is a Brain Bleed?

Brain bleeds are very serious injuries that should be treated immediately after an accident. However, many times, these types of injuries are unnoticed and ignored because they cannot be seen, causing them to lead to further complications for many years to come. Therefore, if you have been in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or any other type of accident, it is crucial that you have your head and brain assessed for bleeding, tearing, and permanent damage.

Defining a brain bleed

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the broad definition of a brain bleed is “any bleed inside your head.” However, it is important to point out that each brain bleed is different and are usually defined by their location. The reason for this is because bleeding can happen “either within the skull but outside of the brain tissue, or inside the brain tissue.”

The different types of brain bleeds

The Cleveland Clinic explains that your brain has three different layers, which are referred to as meninges. These layers cover the area between your brain tissue and skull, shielding your brain from any harm. When bleeding occurs in the areas between these layers, it means that you have a bleed outside the brain tissue but within the skull area, which could possibly be one of these three types of brain bleeds:

• Subdural bleed: This type of bleeding occurs between the arachnoid membrane and the dura mater membrane.
• Subarachnoid bleed: This brain bleed occurs between the pia mater layer and arachnoid layer.
• Epidural bleed: An epidural brain bleed occurs between the dura mater and the skull.

If you have bleeding inside of your brain tissue, it may be one of these two types of brain bleeds:

• Intracerebral bleed: An intracerebral bleed happens between the brain tissues, which are the cerebellum, pons, and lobes. Some people even bleed in their brainstem.
• Intraventricular bleed: This type of bleeding happens within the brain’s cavities and ventricles, which are typically where the cerebrospinal fluid is created.

What symptoms may indicate that I have a brain bleed?

If you were recently involved in any type of accident or bumped or hit your head on a hard item or surface, you could be at risk of a brain bleed. While it is highly recommended that you visit a licensed medical provider right away to rule out any possible bleeding inside your head, there are several signs and symptoms that you can look out for that may indicate that you have a brain bleed, such as:

• Severe and painful headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Feeling dizzy
• Feeling confused
• Feeling weak
• Tingling or numbness
• Inability to swallow
• Balancing issues
• Vision problems
• Neck pain
• Muscle stiffness
• Light sensitivity
• Speech problems
• Feeling tired or fatigued
• Breathing issues

As you can see, there are a variety of different signs and symptoms that may suggest that you have a brain bleed. However, some of these symptoms could be related to another health condition, which is why it is extremely important that you let your doctor or physician know about the problems you are experiencing to get the proper medical treatment you need.

What does a doctor use to find and diagnose a brain bleed?

There are various tools and tests that a doctor may use to find and diagnose your brain bleed. Some of the most common ones that they may use include:

• CT scan
• MRI test
• MRA test
• Spinal tap
• Chest X-ray
• Urinalysis
• Electroencephalogram

Since you cannot visibly see a brain bleed yourself, you will need the help of a licensed medical provider to help you pinpoint and find a brain bleed. However, you should not delay finding out if you have a brain bleed as every second is important to your recovery, health, and well-being.

Accidents that can cause brain bleeds

When you experience  an impact to your facial or head area, there is a possibility that you may develop a brain bleed. A few of the most common accidents that can cause brain bleeds are:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Bus accidents
• Train accidents
• Sports accidents
• Violence or assault

If you have experienced a brain bleed resulting from an accident due to another’s negligence, the Maryland personal injury lawyers at Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. are here to legally assist you. We know and understand how these types of injuries can alter your life forever, which is why we will stand up and demand the compensation you need to get your life back on track after the accident. Call our office or submit our contact form to schedule your initial meeting with one of our attorneys today. We are ready to discuss at one of our multiple office locations throughout the state.