Early Symptoms of Brain Tumors You Should Not Ignore

A brain tumor is categorized by mass or growth of abnormal cells in the brain. It can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). However, even if the tumor is benign, the dangers might still persist as space in the human skull is limited. Moreover, as this tumor grows in size, it can interfere with the daily healthy functions such as movement, memory or speech. Brain tumors, very often, go unnoticed and undetected because at times the symptoms may not be so alarmingly evident. Here, it is important to note that early detection can help in effective and timely treatment and recovery.

Early Signs and Symptoms of Brain Tumor You Should Not Ignore:

1. Persistent Headaches – Headaches are the most common symptoms of brain tumor. These can
   be intense and frequent in occurrence; sometimes gradually and rapidly increasing in intensity,
   often upon coughing or sneezing. Headaches occur because the growing or present tumor
   exerts intracranial pressure or spinal fluid in and around the areas surrounding the brain tissue,
   making these headaches persistently recurring.
2. Seizures – These may occur due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain that a tumor might
   trigger, ranging from a mild twitching to severe convulsions. If someone has not had a history of
   seizure, it is the most alarming symptom and should not go unattended.
3. Blurred or Dual Vision and Even Partial Loss of Vision – This is a common sign that may occur due to the tumor affecting the optic nerve or the occipital lobe. Peripheral vision may become
   difficult to attain, things might seem blurry from afar, or the person might also experience
   sudden pain in the eyes or behind them.
4. Difficulty in Balance or Coordination – Losing balance, having difficulty in eye-hand coordination, stumbling suddenly in recurring episodes are all signs that a tumor might be affecting the cerebellum which is the control centre of the brain.
5. Nausea or Vomiting – These are another by-product of increased intracranial pressure.
   Immediate medical help should be taken in such cases.
6. Cognitive Difficulties – Difficulties such as tracing back your mental steps, memory loss, starting
   to forget small things and losing your trail of thoughts, as basic as they may appear, should not
   be ignored. These are early signs which if recurring should be immediately tended to.
7. Shift in Personality – If the tumor is affecting the frontal lobe of the brain, it can cause stark
   changes in personality and behaviour of an individual. One might start acting ‘out-of-character’
   in an irritable or even withdrawn manner.
8. Difficulty in Hearing and Speech – Stuttering speech, slips of tongue, impaired hearing or
   difficulty in processing auditory information are another set of probable symptoms of a tumor in
   the brain. This may be because the auditory nerve is getting affected by the tumor thereby
   hindering language comprehension.
9. Weakness or Numbing – Any such feeling or tingling sensations in the limbs or face may occur as the neural pathways for communication are affected. Feeling constant pinning sensation in the back of head, ears or eyes may also happen as the body tries to process the electrical signals.
10. Fatigue and persistent tiredness – Fatigue may be experienced as the brain becomes incapable
    of managing balance. The tumor present obstructs with basic functions and tires the body out.
    While most of these symptoms may feel very common in daily life, it is important to take notice and attend to them if they occur frequently and cause obstructions in a person’s day-to-day life. At Yashoda Hospital & Research Centre, Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad, we have the best Neurosurgeons to treat patients with brain tumors and other neurological conditions.
    
    Dr. Prof. (Brig.) Yadvendra Singh Sirohi comes with over three decades of experience in the field of neurology. With a celebrated career as a renowned neurologist in the Indian Armed Forces, he is a master of neurological conditions, currently practicing as Sr. Consultant, Neurology, in the Department of Neurosciences.
    
    Dr. Puneet Malik is one of the best neurosurgeons in Delhi with more than a decade of experience in Neurosurgery. His specializations include brain surgery, clot removal, tumor removal, trauma repair and an expansive range of other neurological problems.
    
    For appointments, please reach out to us on our helpline numbers – 9810922042, 0120-4182000.