Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

 Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Symptoms of SAH

 The main symptom is a sudden, severe headache, which is more intense at the base of the skull. Some people may even feel a popping sensation in their head before the hemorrhage begins.

You may also have:

• neck pain
• numbness throughout your body
• shoulder pain
• seizures
• confusion
• irritability
• sensitivity to light
• decreased vision
• nausea
• vomiting
• rapid loss of alertness
  

• Diagnosing SAH
  

   Your doctor may notice that you have a stiff neck and vision problems. This combination often leads to a diagnosis of SAH. You’ll need more testing to find out the severity of the hemorrhage so that you can get proper treatment.

  First, your doctor may conduct a CT scan of the head to look for bleeding in your skull. If the results are inconclusive, the doctor may use a contrast dye during the procedure.

  Other tests include:

  

  • an MRI scan, which uses radio waves to get clear, detailed images of the brain
  • a cerebral angiography, which uses an X-ray and injected dye to detect blood flow in the brain
  • a transcranial ultrasound, which detects blood flow in the arteries within the brain
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