Conditions and symptoms
What Is Intracranial Hemorrhage? Brain Bleeds Explained
Intracranial Hemorrhage · say it: in-truh-KRAY-nee-ul HEM-uh-rijAlso written: intracranial haemorrhage, brain bleed, bleeding in the brain, ICH
Short answer
Intracranial hemorrhage means bleeding inside the skull, in or around the brain; it is a medical emergency.
What it means
Intracranial hemorrhage means bleeding inside the skull. It includes bleeding into the brain tissue itself and bleeding into the spaces around the brain. It can be caused by head injury, high blood pressure, a weakened blood vessel and other conditions. It is a medical emergency. Warning signs include a sudden severe headache, weakness or numbness on one side, confusion, trouble speaking, vomiting, seizures or reduced consciousness.
It appears on labels of anticoagulants, antiplatelets and clot-busting medicines because these lower clotting and so raise the risk of serious bleeding, including in the brain. Labels may list it as a serious bleeding event, explain who is at higher risk (for example older people or those with uncontrolled high blood pressure) and stress reporting any head injury while on a blood thinner.
Intracranial hemorrhage is one type of stroke (hemorrhagic stroke). The other main type, ischemic stroke, is caused by a clot, which is what some blood thinners are designed to prevent.
Where you may see it
- Anticoagulant and antiplatelet labels under 'Bleeding risk'
- CT or MRI head reports
- Emergency and stroke unit discharge summaries
📄 How it looks on a report
CT head: No intracranial hemorrhage. No acute intracranial abnormality.
🙅 What it does not mean
- A label listing it does not mean a brain bleed is likely; it means serious bleeding is possible.
- A normal CT does not rule out every brain problem, but it does show no bleeding was seen.
- Being on a blood thinner means even a minor head knock should be checked if symptoms follow.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Intracranial Hemorrhage”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Clopidogrel
A platelet inhibitor of the P2Y12 type (a thienopyridine). It is a blood thinner that keeps platelets from sticking together.
- Naproxen
a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which is a medicine that reduces pain, swelling, and inflammation
- Warfarin Sodium
A blood thinner (anticoagulant) of the vitamin K antagonist type. The label says it acts by blocking vitamin K-dependent clotting factors.
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Intracranial Hemorrhage” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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