Brain bleed may happen to anywhere from 10% to 40% of patients with an ischemic stroke. Different studies have identified various things that increase or decrease the risk of brain bleed after a stroke.
We will look at a few of those factors here:
The size of the stroke: The larger the initial stroke, the higher the risk of bleeding afterwards.
A stroke caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called A fib: A fib, or atrial fibrillation, is a condition in which the upper heart chambers don’t beat regularly. It causes some turbulence in the blood flowing into the heart, increasing the risk of forming small blood clots that may go into the brain and block small blood vessels, causing a stroke. They usually result in multiple small strokes. These small clots can move again, exposing fresh blood into the damaged brain, causing brain bleed after the stroke. According to a study, people who get brain bleed after a stroke are 4 times more likely to have A fib than not.
Bad symptoms from the initial stroke: If someone had very bad symptoms from the initial stroke, he or she is also at an increased risk of brain bleed after that stroke. Doctors use a scale called the stroke scale or stroke score to keep track of the severity of the stroke. It goes from 0 to 42, where 42 is the most severe form of a stroke. The higher the stroke scale, the higher the chance of brain bleed afterwards.
High blood sugars: Uncontrolled diabetes with high blood sugars have been found to increase the risk of brain bleed after a stroke.
Lower cholesterol: In some studies, people with lower cholesterol were found to have a higher rate of brain bleed after a stroke. However, people with lower cholesterol have a lower risk of having a stroke in the first place. That is why it is still recommended to keep your cholesterol low.
Low platelets: Platelets are the small, disc-like fragments floating in the blood. They help stick to damaged blood vessels and form a clot. With less platelets, you are more likely to have brain bleed after a stroke.