If you are diagnosed with subarachnoid haemorrhage (or a diagnosis is strongly suspected) you are likely to be transferred to a neurosciences unit, where a range of equipment and treatments can be used to support many of the body's vital functions, such as breathing, blood pressure and circulation.

In more severe cases, you may be transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU)

Medication

Nimodipine

To prevent further blockage of the supply of blood to your brain (secondary cerebral ischaemia – read more about the complications of a subarachnoid haemorrhage), you will be given a medication called nimodipine to take for three weeks.

Side effects of nimodipine include:

• sweating and flushing
• feeling sick
• swelling of the feet, ankles or legs
• stomach upset

Pain relief

Medication can be effective in relieving the severe pain of the headache associated with a subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Commonly used pain-relieving medications include morphine, and a combination of codeine and paracetamol.

Other medications

Other medications that are sometimes used to treat subarachnoid haemorrhage include:

• anticonvulsants, such as phenytoin, which are used to prevent seizures (fits)
• beta-blockers, which are a type of medication that can help regulate blood pressure
• antiemetics, such as promethazine, which can help relieve symptoms of feeling sick and being sick
• diuretics, such as mannitol, which can help relieve pressure inside the brain

Surgery

Surgery is usually recommended within the first 24 hours of being admitted to hospital to prevent the burst aneurysm from bleeding again.

Neurosurgical clipping

Neurosurgical clipping is an operation carried out under general anaesthetic. A cut is made in your scalp and a small flap of bone is removed to reveal your brain underneath.

When the aneurysm is located, the neurosurgeon (an expert in surgery of the brain and nervous system) will seal it shut using a tiny metal clip. After the bone flap has been replaced, the scalp is stitched together.

Endovascular coiling

Endovascular coiling involves inserting a catheter into an artery in your leg or groin. The tube is guided through the network of blood vessels into your head and finally into the aneurysm.

Tiny platinum coils are then passed through the tube into the aneurysm. The coils block the flow of blood into the aneurysm. Over time this should seal the aneurysm off from the main artery to prevent it from rupturing.

Coiling or clipping?

Increasingly, coiling is the preferred technique, as it is less invasive and so causes fewer complications.

However, there are some circumstances when clipping surgery may be preferred and the doctors looking after you will recommend the most appropriate technique.