What causes brain lesions to develop?
What causes brain lesions to develop?
Brain lesions can be caused by many different triggers. The following factors put a person at greater risk to get brain lesions:
- Aging
- Family history of brain lesions. The risk increases if someone else in the family has had the condition.
- Vascular conditions, such as stroke, high blood pressure, and cerebral artery aneurysms
- Trauma to the brain, which can cause internal bleeding. If not remedied, it could lead to death.
- Infections, harmful germs or bacteria in the brain. These can cause diseases like meningitis and encephalitis (both types of swelling (inflammation) of the brain).
- Tumors that either start in the brain (primary tumors) or travel there (metastatic) via blood or lymphatic vessels
- Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. These result when the body’s antibodies start to attack the body’s own tissues, such as those tissues in the brain.
- Plaques, or excess build-up of abnormal protein in the brain tissues or in the blood vessels, slowing down the supply of blood to the brain, as seen in clogged arteries. Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that affects a person’s memory, thinking and behavior, develops because of plaques in brain tissues. Multiple sclerosis can also cause plaques in the brain secondary to damaged tissue.
- Exposure to radiation or certain chemicals that increase the chance of tumors and lesions in the brain
- Toxins, such as excessive amounts of alcohol or cigarette smoke, in the body. Other toxic substances are elevated levels of ammonia and urea in the body due to kidney issues (can affect brain function but may not show discrete brain lesions).
- Poor diet, especially eating foods with excess fats and cholesterol