How To Treat A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
A subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs when there is bleeding between the brain and the subarachnoid space surrounding it. Most cases present with a sudden and severe headache. It's also possible for the headache to cause vomiting, nausea, and loss of consciousness. In most cases, the bleeding occurs when an aneurysm in the brain ruptures. An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge that forms in a blood vessel. Some aneurysms can be treated before they rupture, while others can only be monitored. The bleeding can sometimes also be a result of trauma and injury. In rarer cases, other health issues and blood vessel problems can cause this type of bleeding. Abnormal tangles of blood vessels called arteriovenous malformations can cause this bleeding in the brain.
Surgical Clipping
Surgical clipping is used to treat aneurysms, which are abnormal bulges in the wall of an artery, and sometimes this procedure is done as a preemptive measure to keep the aneurysm from causing bleeding. However, the procedure is often done as part of a treatment and damage control after the aneurysm has already caused bleeding. By themselves, aneurysms often cause no symptoms. In fact, many individuals may not be aware they have an aneurysm at all. But the larger an aneurysm becomes, the thinner the walls of the artery are stretched. It can become thin enough to rupture or leak, which can then lead to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. During a surgical clipping procedure, a neurosurgeon will open the patient's skull and put a clip across the aneurysm's neck. This keeps more blood from entering it, which in turn prevents or stops existing bleeding. It also prevents the aneurysm from growing larger. The main goal of the surgery is to keep blood from flowing into the aneurysm without blocking off any of the small arteries near it.
Certain Medications
A subarachnoid hemorrhage is an emergency medical situation, as if the condition isn't treated immediately, it can lead to permanent brain damage or death. The initial treatments focus on helping stabilize the patient's condition. This might include the administration of different medications to help manage pain, or the use of general anesthesia so a patient can undergo neurosurgery. The one drug approved to treat a subarachnoid hemorrhage is nimodipine, which is a calcium channel blocker. Unlike most other medications on the market, nimodipine is specifically used for the treatment of a subarachnoid hemorrhage. When individuals experience abnormal bleeding, their body will naturally respond by narrowing the vessel in question so the flow slows. But when the blood vessel is in the brain, stopping the flow of blood does more harm than good. It deprives the brain of oxygen, leading to further brain damage. Nimodipine relaxes the narrowed blood vessels to encourage blood flow and reduce brain damage. The drug has not been approved for any other uses.
