I61: Intracerebral haemorrhage

Intracerebral haemorrhage refers to a group of conditions characterised by bleeding within the brain tissue itself, typically caused by a rupture of blood vessels in the brain. Sudden, severe symptoms are often the first sign of intracerebral haemorrhage, which may include weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, reduced alertness, and difficulty speaking or swallowing. This usually occurs unexpectedly and rapidly progresses over minutes to hours. The affected systems are primarily the neurological and circulatory systems. There is a strong link between intracerebral haemorrhages and conditions that weaken blood vessels, such as hypertension. Other contributing factors often include age, alcohol use, drug use, and family history. While these conditions are not transmissible, certain risk factors can increase the susceptibility to this type of bleeding in the brain.