| Spontaneous subarachnoid (pronounced
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| | healthy arteries passing through this
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| sub-uh-RACK-noid) hemorrhage is
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| | space to go into spasm. The spasm
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| rightfully the most feared cause of
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| | decreases blood-flow to the parts of the
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| sudden headache. Usually due to rupture
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| | brain ordinarily nourished by these
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| of aneurysms (abnormal, balloon-like
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| | arteries and thereby inflicts additional
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| outpouchings of arteries) located near
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| | damage. Or, said another way, a blocked
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| the base of the brain, subarachnoid
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| | artery causes a new stroke, this time of
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| hemorrhages involve bleeding into the
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| | the non-bleeding type. For reasons that
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| space between the brain and its
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| | are not entirely understood, these spasms
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| surrounding membrane, known as the
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| | of the arteries do not occur within the
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| meninges. A traumatic blow to the head
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| | first few days after the initial
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| can also cause subarachnoid hemorrhage,
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| | hemorrhage. Instead, they typically
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| but this is a completely unrelated
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| | develop after a delay of 4-9 days.What
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| process and is not the subject of this
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| | can be done to reduce these
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| essay.About 10% of people with
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| | complications? In the case of
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| spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhages die
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| | blood-vessel spasm, the best treatment is
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| before they even get to a hospital and
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| | a preventive one. Administering a drug
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| over a third die within the first four
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| | called nimodipine (prononounced
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| weeks following the bleed. Survivors can
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| | nye-MO-dih-peen) intravenously makes
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| have significant impairments due to brain
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| | spasming less likely to occur. But in
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| damage.And while the effects of the
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| | order to prevent the other major
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| initial bleed are bad enough, in the
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| | complication, re-bleeding, the best
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| following few weeks individuals with
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| | treatments are those which physically
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| subarachnoid hemorrhage can suffer
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| | stabilize the aneurysm. In one such
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| additional, serious complications. One
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| | procedure, a surgeon places a metal clip
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| complication is that the aneurysm
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| | across the aneurysm where it joins the
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| responsible for the initial hemorrhage
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| | otherwise normal artery. An alternative
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| can bleed a second time and cause even
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| | surgery is to wrap the outside of the
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| more damage. This occurs in 4% of cases
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| | aneurysm with surgical gauze or plastic
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| within the first 24 hours and there is
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| | sheeting. A newer procedure involves
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| another 1.2% chance of re-bleeding each
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| | filling the aneurysm with tiny metal
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| day thereafter for the first two weeks.
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| | coils inserted via a flexible catheter
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| Thus, without treatment 20% of cases have
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| | snaked through the arteries.How can one
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| a second hemorrhage within the first two
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| | tell if a particular headache is caused
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| weeks.The other serious complication is
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| | by a bleeding aneurysm? It can be a tough
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| that the blood deposited in the
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| | call, but certain features make a
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| subarachnoid space can cause otherwise
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| | ruptured aneurysm more likely.
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