What is a hemorrhagic stroke?

• A. A stroke caused by a rupture of a blood vessel leading to bleeding in brain tissue
• B. Caused by a blood clot that forms and bursts causing bleeding by a damaged artery into brain tissue
• C. A stroke caused by dehydration
• D. A stroke caused by a heart attack

Answer: (B)

A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds into brain tissue or into the surrounding spaces. This bleeding raises pressure inside the skull, damaging brain cells and disrupting normal brain function. It’s caused by things like high blood pressure, an aneurysm that bursts, or abnormal fragile vessels.

The description that mentions a clot forming and bursting describes a different idea than a true hemorrhagic stroke—the key feature here is the actual rupture and bleeding, not a clot causing the bleed. The other options—bleeding due to dehydration or a heart attack—do not describe how strokes occur in the brain.