There are thousands of brain tumors diagnosed in the United States each year. No one knows for sure what causes tumors, however some risk factors have been identified. For instance, some people have rare genetic conditions that make them more susceptible to developing tumors. Children who receive radiation might also be more likely to develop a tumor later in life.
Ideally, the old cells in the human body are replaced when new cells develop. However, in tumor patients, this normal cell replacement process goes awry. An accumulation of old cells forms and creates a mass of unnecessary cells. This large build-up of abnormal cells is called a tumor.
1. Severe Headache
Headaches are a common symptom of many illness. However a headache on its own is usually not a sign of a brain tumor. In fact, some tumor patients may not experience a headache at all unless the tumor is big enough to cause nerve pressure.
A severe headache is just one sign of a brain tumor. However, many headaches, such as a migraine or tension headache, can be attributed to noncancerous causes. While migraines are painful and can disrupt everyday life, they are generally not life-threatening in the way that a malignant brain tumor is.
2. Muscle Weakness
In addition to headaches, a tumor patient may also experience muscle weakness. This weakness can significantly impair movement and impact daily living activities. Activities such as eating or writing could become difficult. Gross motor skills can also be impacted, meaning that patients could struggle to walk, which makes falling down a common worry.
Weak muscles could also cause patients to experience stiff movements in the limbs. Muscle weakness can occur in a patient’s entire body. However, some patients may experience weakness on only one side of the body or only in certain body parts. A doctor or physical therapist should be consulted in regards to ways to improve the patient’s movement and strengthen muscles.
3. Weakness of Arms
Neurological abnormalities vary in each patient depending on the location of the tumor in the brain. The motor region of the brain is responsible for controlling a person’s movements. The right side of the brain controls the left side’s movements and vice versa. When this movement center of the brain is invaded by a tumor, patients will experience weakness in the arms and legs.
This weakness is usually seen on the opposite side of the body from where the tumor exists. In such cases, fine motor skills are compromised, making it difficult for a patient to use the hands and fingers adequately. Weakness in the arms could impair a person’s ability to carry objects, grip objects or move the limbs normally.
4. Balance Disorder
In addition to the muscle weakness and arm weakness discussed above, brain tumor patients can also experience a noticeable difference in their balance. Because the brain stem helps control balance and movement, a tumor in the cerebellum can disrupt natural movement. This disruption causes the patient to lean to one side or even fall down. Patients may struggle to walk and be unable to walk in the dark. A lack of balance and coordination may be a symptom of other illnesses, too. However, if you have trouble controlling your movements and are off-balance in addition to the other symptoms mentioned here, you should consult a physician.
5. Dizziness
Problems with balance and dizziness often co-exist in people with brain tumors. A patient may have trouble walking due to dizziness or be unable to walk at all. This obviously causes impairment in everyday living activities. A physician or medical professional can suggest therapies and treatments for dizziness. In many cases, weakness also accompanies the dizzy feel patients experience.
6. Nausea
Nausea associated with brain tumors is often overlooked because nausea is a sign of so many other illnesses. Often, when a person is diagnosed with a tumor, it is because the patient sought medical attention for another symptom, such as headache or dizziness. Tumor patients with nausea feel queasy and have an upset stomach. These symptoms often confuse a patient because they can occur at any random time and with no apparent reason.
7. Mental Confusion
A tumor can also affect a person’s cognitive functioning. As a result, patients experience memory problems, confusion, a lack of concentration and struggle to think clearly. Some people even have trouble understanding information. These symptoms may come on suddenly, which makes the problem even more alarming. In addition to this, some patients also experience problems with using language. Mental confusion is perhaps one of the scariest symptoms of a brain tumor. A person who develops a change in personality and behaves in a confused way should seek medical assistance immediately.
8. Impaired Voice
Some people with brain tumors may not experience speech trouble. In other cases, the speech problems may be so slight that they go undetected or do need impair a person’s standard of living or ability to communicate. The location of the tumor plays a large part in how the brain is affected. Each lobe of the brain controls specific functions, such as movement or speech. For instance, the brain’s temporal lobe controls the person’s ability to understand language and the frontal lobe is responsible for language production. Therefore, a tumor located in one of these two brain sections or a tumblr r that swells to include either section will impair a person’s ability to communicate.
9. Blurred Vison
Just as a brain tumor in the frontal lobe could cause communication problems, a tumor in or near the optic nerve can cause vision trouble. In some cases, a tumor in another part of the brain could lead to excess pressure in the skull, which can also cause blurred vision. This can cause a person to have difficulty watching television or reading a book. Some patients experience double vision. Peripheral vision is the vision field on the outer parts of the eye. People with brain tumors may lose part of their peripheral vision. People who experience blurred vision along with other symptoms mentioned in this article should seek medical help.
10. Seizures
A seizure occurs when a patient experiences unusual electrical activity in the brain. When this happens, the patient’s body may tremble or jerk uncontrollable. A seizure usually lasts for a short time. Some patients lose consciousness or experience distortions in reality or sensory distortions. However, brain tumor patients may experience many types of seizures and the type experienced often depends on the tumor’s location and the location of the abnormal signal in the brain.
The occurrence of a seizure is often unpredictable and random. However, people who often experience seizures can sometimes notice signs or a change in his or her body before a seizure occurs. For instance, some patients have a change in mood before a seizure. Others notice a specific smell or develop a headache.
