What is the treatment for Brain Hemmorhage / stroke?

Question

What is the treatment for Brain Hemmorhage / stroke?

Answer 1

TreatmentIschaemic strokes Ischaemic strokes can be treated using a medicine called alteplase, which dissolves blood clots. However, alteplase is only effective if used during the first three hours after a stroke has taken place. After that time the medicine has no beneficial effects.

You will also be given a regular dose of aspirin as this makes the cells in your blood, known as platelets, less sticky, reducing the chances of further blood clots occurring. If you are allergic to aspirin, other anti-platelet medicines are available.

AnticoagulantsYou may also be given an additional medication called an anticoagulant. Like aspirin, anticoagulants also prevent blood clots by changing the chemical composition of the blood in a way that prevents clots from occurring. Heparin and warfarin are two anticoagulants that are commonly used.

Anticoagulants are often prescribed for people who have an irregular heartbeat that can cause blood clots.

Blood pressureIf your blood pressure is too high, you may be given medicines to lower it. Two medicines that are commonly used are:

thiazide diuretic - which reduces the amount of water in your body and widens the blood vessels, which decreases blood pressure, andangiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which widen the blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.StatinsIf the level of cholesterol in your blood is too high, you will be given a medicine known as a statin. Statins reduce the level of cholesterol in your blood by blocking an enzyme (chemical) in the liver that produces cholesterol.

Carotid stenosisSome ischaemic strokes are caused by a blockage in the carotid artery, which is an artery in the neck. The blockage, known as carotid stenosis, is caused by a build-up of fatty plaques.

If the carotid stenosis is particularly bad, surgery may be used to unblock the artery. This can be done using a surgical technique called a carotid endarterectomy, which involves the surgeon making an incision in your neck in order to open up the carotid artery, and remove the fatty deposits.

Haemorrhagic strokesEmergency surgery is often required to treat haemorrhagic strokes in order to remove any blood from the brain, and repair any burst blood vessels. This is usually done using a surgical procedure known as a craniotomy.

During a craniotomy, a small section of your skull is cut away to allow the surgeon to gain access to the cause of the bleeding. The surgeon will repair any damaged blood vessels, and will ensure that there are no blood clots present that may restrict the blood flow to your brain. After the bleeding has been stopped, the piece of bone removed from the skull is replaced.

Following a craniotomy, you may have to be placed on a ventilator. A ventilator is a machine that assists you with breathing. It gives your body time to recover by taking over its normal responsibilities, such as breathing, and it will also help control any swelling that you have in your brain.

You will also be given medicines, such as ACE inhibitors, to lower your blood pressure and prevent further strokes from occurring.

Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)The treatment for a transient ischaemic attack involves addressing the conditions that led to it, while trying to prevent those conditions causing a bigger, more serious stroke.

If you have a TIA, the treatment that you receive will depend on what caused it, but typically, you will be given one of the medicines outlined above, or a combination of them. So, if high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels put you at risk of having a stroke, you may be given a combination of statins and ACE inhibitors.

If the risk of a stroke is very high, due to a build-up of fatty plaques in your carotid artery, a carotid endarterectomy may be required.

Answer 2

Is there any treatment?

Generally there are three treatment stages for stroke: prevention, therapy immediately after the stroke, and post-stroke rehabilitation. Therapies to prevent a first or recurrent stroke are based on treating an individual's underlying risk factors for stroke, such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot causing an ischemic stroke or by stopping the bleeding of a hemorrhagic stroke. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Medication or drug therapy is the most common treatment for stroke. The most popular classes of drugs used to prevent or treat stroke are antithrombotics (antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants) and thrombolytics.

The above information is from:  http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/strok...

The main link is: www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders

Then go to Strokes

Dial 9-1-1 if you suspect a stroke.  The earlier you get treatment, the better.  I'm not a doctor, but have had several friends/family that had strokes.