A haemorrhagic stroke occurs when the wall of a blood vessel in the brain breaks, causing blood to leak from the vessel into the brain. Delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain is stopped, causing brain cells to die.
Haemorrhagic stroke is caused by various disorders affecting the blood vessels. Long-term high blood pressure is a key risk factor.
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Depending on the location of the burst artery, a haemorrhagic stroke can be classified as:
Intracerebral haemorrhage – when an artery bursts inside the brain Subarachnoid haemorrhage – when the bleeding occurs on the surface of the brain (between the layer nearest the brain and the second layer)