It can affect any person regardless of age, sex, or race but is most common in older individuals. Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage is caused by the effects of high blood pressure . These microaneurysms can leak blood into the tissues. Intracerebral bleeding associated with hypertension most commonly occurs in the tissues of the basal ganglia but may occur in any part of the brain. Both swelling of the brain tissues and the presence of a hematoma within the brain put increasing pressure on the brain tissues and eventually destroys them.
Symptoms vary depending on the extent of damage and the location of the bleed.
Symptoms most commonly develop suddenly, without warning, often during activity. They may occasionally develop in a stepwise, episodic manner or in a progressive manner. The specific pattern of function changes may indicate the location of the intracerebral hemorrhage . Eye examination may show swelling of the optic nerve associated with increased pressure within the brain, or there may be changes in eye movement. Abnormal reflexes may be present, or there may be an abnormal extent of normal reflexes.