LEARNING CORNER
BRAIN TUMOR
SYMPTOMS
The symptoms
below might point to a brain tumor. We stress
the word “might” because other, more common,
disorders can also cause many of them. All the
same, we urge anyone who is experiencing any of
these symptoms for no clear reason to seek
medical care soon:
Symptoms often
seen in patients with brain tumors include:
- Headaches
that may come on or worsen at certain times,
such as when waking up, changing position,
or straining
- Nausea or
vomiting
- One or more
seizures, which might cause brief bouts of
twitching, twisting, or unconsciousness
- Trouble
speaking or understanding language
- Lessened
ability to think, concentrate, or remember
- Personality
or mood changes
- Weakness
- Numbness or
tingling
- Inability to
move part of the body
- Vision
problems, including blurriness, seeing
double, and blindness
- Hearing
trouble, from ringing or buzzing in the ear
to hearing loss
- Abnormal
movements, new clumsiness
- Dizziness or
poor balance
Brain tumors can
also cause other symptoms, such as:
- Unexplained
tiredness or lack of drive
- Odd
appearance of one or both eyes
- Unintended
weight loss or gain
- Altered
breathing or pulse
- Excessive
growth of all or part of the body, or in
children, slowed overall growth
- Swallowing
trouble
Some symptoms
affect women only:
- Flow of
breast milk not due to recent pregnancy or
breast-feeding
- Changes in
monthly bleeding unrelated to menopause
Others hint of a
possible brain tumor in men:
- Breast
development
- Impotence
Remember, most
people who are experiencing symptoms on this
list do not have a brain tumor. Even so, seeking
treatment could save the lives of those who do;
it can give peace of mind to those who do not.
To learn about next steps, please see our
diagnosis page.
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