What should not be eaten in case of brainstem hemorrhage?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on November 18, 2024
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Firstly, patients with brainstem hemorrhage should avoid eating foods that are difficult to digest. This is because these patients can easily develop acute gastric mucosal lesions, leading to decreased gastrointestinal function. If they consume harder foods, it could increase the burden on their digestive function, which is detrimental to recovery. Secondly, patients with brainstem hemorrhage should also avoid cold items, such as drinking cold beverages or eating ice cream, as these can easily cause diarrhea. Thirdly, patients with brainstem hemorrhage should not eat overly salty foods, such as pickles, salted meat, salted fish, and so on. These items can cause an increase in blood pressure, potentially exacerbating the brainstem hemorrhage. Fourthly, avoid overly greasy foods as they can increase blood lipids, which is also unfavorable for the recovery from a brainstem hemorrhage. Fifthly, patients with brainstem hemorrhage should not smoke or drink alcohol, as these have no beneficial effect on their condition and could instead accelerate the progression of the disease.

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Written by Li Qiang
Intensive Care Unit
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Is vomiting severe in brainstem hemorrhage?

Vomiting after brainstem hemorrhage is definitely a serious matter because if the vomiting is caused by a brain-related issue, it is due to increased intracranial pressure. This type of vomiting is characterized as projectile vomiting, which is one of the three major signs of increased intracranial pressure. If the brainstem hemorrhage is extensive, it may cause local stimulation leading to cerebral vascular spasm, or issues such as obstructed brain circulation resulting in increased intracranial pressure and hydrocephalus. This increase in intracranial pressure, especially if prolonged, can lead to brain herniation, which is particularly deadly if it compresses the brainstem. Therefore, this is a very urgent and serious condition that requires immediate attention. Of course, if the vomiting is solely due to other reasons such as gastric retention or improper feeding, that would be a different matter. Projectile vomiting caused by increased intracranial pressure is highly severe.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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What will happen with brainstem hemorrhage?

Brainstem hemorrhage is a very dangerous disease because the structure of the brainstem is so crucial. It contains the life centers responsible for breathing and heartbeat, as well as sensory and motor nerve fibers passing through it. If the brainstem hemorrhage is severe and the amount of bleeding is large, the patient may experience paralysis of the limbs, swallowing dysfunction, and choking on water, among other symptoms. If the condition worsens, it can lead to coma, persistent high fever, and even death. Patients with minor brainstem hemorrhages may exhibit symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, numbness in the limbs, and paralysis. Generally, brainstem hemorrhages are caused by hypertension, which must be well controlled.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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The acute phase of brainstem hemorrhage lasts for several days.

The acute phase of brainstem hemorrhage generally lasts about two to three weeks, or 14 to 21 days, but it also needs to be specifically assessed based on the different conditions of the patient. If the hemorrhage in the brainstem is relatively severe and located in an important functional area, then the critical period may be appropriately extended. For example, if the hemorrhage is in the medulla oblongata and has already caused respiratory and circulatory failure, as well as unstable vital signs and a comatose state, then the critical period could even reach about one to two months, because it is often necessary to use a ventilator to assist breathing, and the patient's comatose state does not allow for full consciousness. However, for some brainstem hemorrhages, such as a small hemorrhage in the pons that only causes the clinical symptom of headache in the patient, the critical period is generally no more than two weeks. Thus, each patient's condition is different.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Can you survive with 10 milliliters of bleeding in the brainstem?

A brainstem hemorrhage of 10 milliliters is relatively significant; whether the patient can survive depends on specific circumstances. First, it must be determined if the hemorrhage has compressed important neural nuclei, causing apparent respiratory and circulatory dysfunction. If such dysfunction occurs, it could severely threaten the patient's life. Additionally, the patient's level of consciousness and the availability of timely and effective treatment, along with necessary life support, must be considered. For example, if respiratory and circulatory dysfunction arises, it might be appropriate to use vasopressors to maintain blood pressure and ventilators to assist breathing. If effective life support is available, it is often possible to survive the peak period of swelling and preserve life.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
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The difference between brainstem hemorrhage and cerebral hemorrhage.

Cerebral hemorrhage refers to any bleeding caused by the rupture of cerebral blood vessels. Based on the location of the bleeding, there is hemorrhage in the cerebral lobes, thalamic hemorrhage, cerebellar hemorrhage, brainstem hemorrhage, and so on. Consequently, brainstem hemorrhage is a type of cerebral hemorrhage. Because the brainstem is the life center of humans, even a small amount of bleeding can lead to severe consequences, and may even cause death. Therefore, brainstem hemorrhage is one of the most dangerous types of cerebral hemorrhage and has a very high rate of mortality and disability in clinical settings.