What Are the Symptoms of a Brain Tumor?

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are living with primary brain tumors. Almost 100,000 additional people will be diagnosed with brain tumors in 2023.

Fortunately, over 70% of brain tumors are benign. But more than a quarter of them are malignant, and these brain tumors kill almost 19,000 Americans each year.

With all these stats in mind, you should make sure you know what the malignant and benign brain tumor symptoms are. It'll help you answer questions like, "Are my morning headaches a brain tumor?"

In this article, we're going to talk about some of the symptoms people may face when they're dealing with one of the more than 100 types of brain tumors. It'll help you figure out if you might need to obtain a brain tumor diagnosisand seek brain tumor treatment.

Check out the most common symptoms of brain tumors below.

Persistent Headaches

Headaches are some of the most common health complications around. Studies have shown that about 15% of the global population will have a headache on any given day.

If you get headaches every now and then, there's a good chance they aren't being caused by a brain tumor. But if you have headaches almost every day, it may be a different story.

You should speak with your doctor about the headaches you're getting. You'll want to be especially diligent about doing this if your headaches tend to affect you most in the morning.

There does seem to be a connection between morning headaches and a brain tumor diagnosis. It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to investigating the source of any constant headaches you may be having.

Loss of Balance

Brain tumor location will have a lot to do with the malignant and benign brain tumor symptoms that people experience. If, for example, you ever have a brain tumor on your brain stem, it can have a definitive impact on your coordination.

You may find that you'll lose balance all the time if you have a brain tumor in this location. If you're struggling to stay upright while walking at the moment, it could be reason enough to get checked out for a brain tumor.

Limb Weakness

Have you noticed you've been losing strength in one of your arms or legs? This could be a sign that you have nerve damage somewhere in your body.

However, it could also be a sign that you might have a brain tumor. Brain tumors will often cause people to experience weakness in at least one limb. So if you're having a hard time using any of your limbs, it's something you'll want to bring up to your doctor ASAP.

Visual Issues

Certain parts of your brain are responsible for controlling your eyesight. In the event that you have a brain tumor, it could take a toll on your brain's ability to process the images your eyes are taking in.

As a result, you may find yourself experiencing blurry vision, double vision, or even a complete loss of vision in some cases when you have a brain tumor. You may not be able to regain your normal sense of sight without dealing with a brain tumor accordingly.

Seizures

Quite a few medical conditions can cause people to have seizures. Epilepsy is the most common one, but there are dozens of others that can result in seizures occurring.

A brain tumor is one of the many health complications that could lead to you suffering from seizures. This brain tumor can make the neurons in your brain fire quicker than they should, and it can make seizures a part of your daily life.

You shouldn't ever ignore seizures since they could potentially put your life at risk. Talk to your doctor about having tests done to see what could be behind them.

Dramatic Personality Changes

Are you normally a very happy and energetic person? If so, there should be cause for concern if you suddenly turn into someone who is more even-keeled and lethargic.

Are you usually a very quiet and shy person? You might have a problem on your hands if you find that you're very chatty with everyone you come across all of a sudden.

Brain tumors, especially brain tumors that affect a person's frontal lobe, can cause wild shifts in their personality. You might look and act like a completely different person if you have a brain tumor.

Cognitive Problems

As you get older, you might find that some cognitive issues will set in. You may have more so-called "senior moments" than you'd care to admit.

This isn't that out of the ordinary. But if these "senior moments" are causing a lot of confusion and leading to you putting yourself into dangerous situations, there may be a bigger problem at play.

You should bring up your recent cognitive problems with your doctor to see what might be causing them.

Delayed Growth and Development

If you're a full-grown adult, you obviously shouldn't have to worry about your growth or development being delayed by a brain tumor. But this is one of the many childhood brain tumor symptoms.

When kids get brain tumors, they will often stop growing and reach milestones later than others their same age. Parents will need to be on the lookout for childhood brain tumor symptoms like this and aim to do something about them.

Are Your Morning Headaches a Brain Tumor?

Very few people will get a brain tumor diagnosis throughout the course of their lives. They aren't as common as other types of tumors.

But if you're wondering, "Could my morning headaches be a brain tumor?", the truth is that they could be. You should have them checked out by a doctor instead of letting them linger for longer than they should.

The Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance is working hard to help make advancements in the research being done on brain tumors. Our goal is to assist those who might be suffering from brain tumors as well as their loved ones.

Join the fight against brain tumors to do your part to help all those affected by them.