4 Facts About Brain Hematomas

Brain hematomas are more complex—and more dangerous—than many people realize. From the risk factors posed by common medications like blood thinners to life-threatening pressure that can physically shift the brain, these conditions demand swift medical attention. Some develop slowly, others strike without warning, and all require a keen awareness of symptoms and follow-up care. Georgia Neurosurgical Institute is committed to providing expert diagnosis and treatment to protect patients across Middle Georgia from the devastating effects of15 cranial bleeding.

Over the past several months, the experts at the Georgia Neurosurgical Institute have been sharing helpful information about a dangerous set of life-threatening conditions: brain hematomas.

So far, we’ve discussed the causes of hematomas, the dangers they pose, and how to spot symptoms. This month, we’re sharing some additional details about brain hematomas that many people don’t know. Knowing these facts will help you be better prepared to respond when someone experiences a head injury or if you see someone exhibiting the symptoms of a brain hematoma.

Not All Brain Hematomas Develop Quickly

It’s commonly believed that brain hematomas happen immediately following a head trauma or blood vessel rupture. That’s not always the case. Slowly developing hematomas or chronic hematomas are just as dangerous and can catch patients by surprise.

While hematomas following a head injury usually develop quickly, sometimes it takes days or even weeks for the blood pooling that makes up the actual hematoma to become detectable. If the hematoma is caused by a blood vessel tear or rupture that wasn’t caused by an injury, its development can also be slow.

For this reason, anyone who has suffered head trauma should talk with their doctor about follow-up care. Just because there’s no hematoma immediately apparent just after the accident doesn’t mean one won’t form. If there’s a risk of a slowly developing hematoma, the doctor should schedule a follow-up scan within a few weeks to double-check and make sure that no blood is pooling in or on the brain.

Blood Thinners Increase the Risk of a Brain Hematoma

If you’re taking a blood thinner to reduce your risk of clots forming in the bloodstream, you’re at a higher risk of developing a hematoma.

Blood thinners such as warfarin are commonly prescribed to patients who are at a high risk of stroke, pulmonary embolism, coronary disease, or deep vein thrombosis. These drugs help prevent the formation of clots in the bloodstream that can hinder or block blood flow and lead to severe outcomes, including death.

Unfortunately, these drugs also hamper the body’s ability to stop the flow of blood in the event of a trauma or internal injury. As such, a small bump on the head that would cause only minimal bleeding that’s quickly stopped can instead cause dangerous and potentially life-threatening amounts of cranial bleeding.

Hematomas Can Actually Move the Brain

The danger of a brain hematoma isn’t in the blood loss – it’s from the pressure that the growing pool of blood puts on the brain. How much pressure can build up? Enough to literally shift the brain inside the skull.

When a potential hematoma patient gets a CT scan or MRI, one thing the doctors are looking for is something called “midline shift.” Midline shift measures how far the brain’s septum pellucidum – the thin boundary layer between the left and right halves of the brain – has been shifted from the center of the skull.

When the brain is shifted to one side or another, it significantly impacts its function and can cause severe damage to the vital functions carried out in the brain stem. If a severe midline shift is present, the patient is in immediate danger, and steps must be taken to relieve the pressure as soon as possible.

Rapidly-Forming Brain Hematomas Can Be Deceiving

On rare occasions, a person who has suffered head trauma seems perfectly fine immediately after the incident. They’re awake, alert, able to talk, and may not even be experiencing much pain. But anywhere from five minutes to a few hours later, the patient suddenly complains of a terrible headache and falls unconscious. If not already at a hospital or treatment facility, these patients will often die.

The common name for this is “talk and die syndrome,” and it’s caused by a specific type of brain hematoma – an epidural hematoma. Epidural hematomas are caused by a fracture of the temporal bone in front of the ear (usually called “the temple”) that ruptures a vital artery carrying blood to the scalp. These hematomas typically don’t cause any symptoms immediately, and by the time the patient feels anything wrong, it’s usually too late.

If someone has suffered a traumatic head injury, particularly one involving a blow to the temple or ear, it’s crucial to seek medical attention immediately to either rule out or treat an epidural hematoma before it can become life-threatening.

Cranial hemorrhages and brain hematomas are serious events that Georgia Neurosurgical Institute is prepared to treat.

The neurosurgeons and team at Georgia Neurosurgical Institute are highly trained and experienced in treating hematomas on the brain with careful precision. The brain is the most important organ in the body—when something happens to risk its function, our team is here to treat the problem swiftly and skillfully. Your head is in good hands when you turn to our practice.

Schedule a consultation with Georgia Neurosurgical Institute today: 478-743-7092

Georgia Neurosurgical Institute offers exceptional treatments for the brain and spine to patients throughout Middle Georgia. With offices in Macon and satellite locations in Dublin, Locust Grove, and Warner Robins, we’re able to treat patients in and around: