The key difference between hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage is that hemorrhagic stroke occurs due to the bleeding into the brain parenchyma or bleeding into the subarachnoid space, while subarachnoid hemorrhage is a type of hemorrhagic stroke caused only due to bleeding into the subarachnoid space.
Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when there is bleeding in the brain. There are two types of hemorrhagic stroke as intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Bleeding in the brain or brain bleeding can reduce oxygen delivery to the brain substantially. This creates extra pressure in the brain, leading to the killing of brain cells. Therefore, it is very important to treat the condition as soon as possible if someone has the symptoms of brain bleeding.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Hemorrhagic Stroke
3. What is Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
4. Similarities – Hemorrhagic Stroke and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
5. Hemorrhagic Stroke vs Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Hemorrhagic Stroke vs Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
What is Hemorrhagic Stroke?
A hemorrhagic stroke is a stroke that results in too much blood in the brain. In this condition, there may be a slow accumulation of blood in the brain. This happens mainly due to bleeding into the brain parenchyma or bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The factors that trigger hemorrhagic stroke include age (over 65), family or personal history of stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, not exercising, and poor diet. The symptoms of hemorrhagic stroke may include sudden severe headache near the back of the head, losing consciousness, inability to move or feel, confusion, irritability, pain in the muscles of the neck and shoulders, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, seizure, problems in the vision, drooping eyelids, and pupil of one eye being larger than the other.
Figure 01: Hemorrhagic Stroke
Hemorrhagic stroke is diagnosed through physical examination, imaging scans like CT scans, and lab blood tests (looking for signs of infections or heart damage, checking for clotting ability, checking blood sugar levels, kidneys, liver function, etc.). Furthermore, hemorrhagic stroke is treated through medicines to reduce blood pressure, pain, anxiety, headaches, or seizures, surgically clipping it, draining the skull, blocking off any source of bleeding, and performing minimally invasive “burr hole “ removal of intracerebral hemorrhage.
What is Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?
Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a type of brain bleed that only occurs due to bleeding into the subarachnoid space. It is a complication of hemorrhagic stroke. The symptoms of subarachnoid hemorrhage may include loss of consciousness, double vision, nausea, vomiting, severe headache, drooping eyelids, confusion, problem concentrating, light sensitivity, stiffness in the neck, and seizures. The factors that trigger subarachnoid hemorrhage include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, biological sex (higher in women than in men), and brain aneurysms.
Figure 02: Types of Brain Strokes
Subarachnoid hemorrhage can be diagnosed through physical examination, MRI scan, CT scan, angiogram, and spinal tap. Furthermore, treatment options for subarachnoid hemorrhage may include medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, surgery to place a small clip on the blood vessel to stop blood from leaking into the brain and managing aneurysms with an endovascular coil.
What are the Similarities Between Hemorrhagic Stroke and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?
- Hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage are two types of brain bleeds.
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a complication of hemorrhagic stroke.
- Both conditions are caused by strokes.
- They may have similar symptoms like loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, headache, etc.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through imaging scans like MRI and CT scans.
- They are treated through medicines and respective surgeries.
What is the Difference Between Hemorrhagic Stroke and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?
A hemorrhagic stroke happens due to bleeding into the brain parenchyma or bleeding into the subarachnoid space, while subarachnoid hemorrhage only happens due to bleeding into the subarachnoid space. Thus, this is the key difference between hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Furthermore, the factors that trigger hemorrhagic stroke include age (over 65), family or personal history of stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, not exercising, and poor diet. On the other hand, the factors that trigger subarachnoid hemorrhage include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, biological sex (higher in women than in men), and brain aneurysms.
The below infographic presents the differences between hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Hemorrhagic Stroke vs Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage are two types of brain bleeds. Both these conditions are caused by strokes and may have similar symptoms like loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, headache, etc. Hemorrhagic stroke is due to bleeding into the brain parenchyma or bleeding into the subarachnoid space. Subarachnoid hemorrhage refers to bleeding into the subarachnoid space. So, this summarizes the difference between hemorrhagic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Reference:
1. “Hemorrhagic Stroke: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International.
2. “Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Image Courtesy:
1. “1602 The Hemorrhagic Stroke-02” By OpenStax College – Anatomy & Physiology, Connexions Web site, Jun 19, 2013. (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “An illustration of the different types of brain hemorrhage” By Myupchar (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia