A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain or central spine. This growth can affect normal brain function and disrupt the functions of your body. These tumours form in different areas of the brain and it may also develop from different cell types. A brain tumour diagnosis can be a scary prospect. But it is important to know that all such tumours are not malignant. In fact, the most common type of brain tumour, meningioma, is usually benign. But having a tumour in the brain can cause health complications even if it is not cancerous. As we get ready to observe World Brain Tumour Day in June 8, it is important to know how to spot the symptoms of a tumour in the brain. The aim of this day is to create awareness about the condition and also help people suffering from it deal with it in a better way. Every year, World Brain Tumour Day is observed across the world with various events and programmes.
Causes of brain tumours
Experts are unsure as to what causes brain tumour. But Ionizing radiation from high dose x-rays (for example, radiation therapy aimed at the head) damage cells in the brain. This may cause a tumour to form. Though this is not hereditary, in rare cases, it may run in the family. Many experts suspect that the use of cell phones may also up your risk. But this is not proven yet. Other causes may be exposure to certain chemicals or head injury.
Warning Signs of a Brain tumour
A brain tumour is different from a tumour in any other part of the body. The brain is a small organ and a tumour there has limited room for growth. As it grows, it can press against nerves and push against important areas of the brain that controls many things in your body. The symptoms will depend on the size of the tumour size, type and location. It may sometimes also block the fluid that flows through the brain. This causes swelling because of fluid buildup in the brain.
Here are a few early warning symptoms of brain tumors.
- You may experience sudden headaches or a change in the pattern of headaches that you usually get.
- Headaches in the morning are a common sign of brain tumour.
- You may experience headaches that become more progressively frequent and severe.
- You may also experience nausea and vomiting for no apparent reason.
- There may be changes in vision, speech or hearing.
- You may have trouble with coordination, balancing or walking.
- There may be sudden changes in mood, personality, or ability to concentrate. Sometimes, these changes may develop gradually over a period of time and, at other times, the changes may be sudden.
- You may have problems with both short term and long term memory. Confusion in everyday matters as well as personality or behavior changes may also happen.
- There may be involuntary jerking of muscles and twitching. This may be as a result of seizures or convulsions.
- There may be numbness or tingling in the arms or legs and a gradual loss of sensation or movement in the limbs.