Ashima Sharda Mahindra • 11 Dec 2024
What Is Intracranial Hemorrhage Brazilian President Lula Underwent Surgery For? Know the Severe Complications
The accident left Lula with a cut visible on the back of his head, slightly above his neck
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is recovering in an intensive-care unit after undergoing surgery for an intracranial hemorrhage, the Sirio-Libanes hospital has said in a statement. The procedure was performed after the 79-year-old leader felt headaches, which doctors said had resulted from a fall at home in late October.
The hospital informed Lula, who travelled from the capital Brasilia to be treated in Sao Paulo, is now feeling “well, under monitoring in an ICU bed” after the bleeding was drained. The accident had left him with a cut visible on the back of his head, slightly above his neck.
What is intracranial hemorrhage?
Intracranial hemorrhage, also known as brain bleeding, is a kind of stroke that happens when your brain is unable to store oxygen, and so it relies on a series of blood vessels to supply its oxygen and nutrients. Doctors say when the condition happens, a blood vessel leaks blood or bursts, collecting blood within your skull and brain. This causes pressure against your brain, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching your brain tissues and cells.
Brain bleeds are extremely common after falls and traumatic injuries, while they may also occur in those who cannot manage high blood pressure.
According to doctors, intracranial hemorrhage is a life-threatening medical emergency, as it only takes three to four minutes for your brain cells to die if they do not have enough oxygen.
Are brain bleeds fatal?
Brain bleeds can be life-threatening and cause permanent brain damage. The severity and outcome of a brain bleed depend on its cause, the location of the bleeding, the size, and the lapse in time that passes between the bleed and treatment. Once brain cells die, they do not come back.
Damage can be severe and result in physical, mental, and task-based disability.
Signs and symptoms of brain bleeding
According to experts, the symptoms of brain bleeding may vary according to how it was caused but include:
- Sudden tingling, weakness, numbness, or paralysis of your face, arm, or leg, particularly on one side of your body
- Sudden and severe headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Slurred speech
- Lack of energy and sleepiness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Vision loss
- Stiff neck
- Light sensitivity
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Trouble breathing and abnormal heart rate
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness and coma
What are the risk factors for brain bleeds?
The condition can affect anyone at any age, from newborns to adults. However, you may be more at risk of a brain bleed if you experience the following:
- High blood pressure
- Substance use disorder
- Smoking
- Bleeding conditions or conditions that need treatment with blood thinners
- Pregnancy and childbirth-related conditions
- Conditions that affect how your blood vessel walls form.
What are the complications of a brain bleed?
Doctors say if not treated quickly, a brain bleed can lead to permanent brain damage or death. The condition also affects how your body functions overall, so you may experience:
- Permanent memory loss
- Difficulty with swallowing, speech, and communication
- Coordination and movement challenges
- Inability to move part of your body or paralysis
- Numbness or weakness in part of your body
- Vision loss
- Personality changes and emotional changes
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