It may be difficult to know when to talk to a doctor about unusual symptoms that could potentially indicate a brain tumour. It happens because brain tumours—one of the deadliest conditions—do not have symptoms until they have reached a certain size, and when symptoms do occur, they often resemble the symptoms of other, less serious conditions.

Chronic headaches, along with seizures, are among the most common brain tumour symptoms, even though countless people who do not have cancer also experience headaches as a result of tension, stress, dehydration, or non-life-threatening neurological issues.

According to Dr. Sathwik R. Shetty, Consultant, Neurosurgery, Manipal Hospital, there are a few warning signs that indicate early symptoms of brain tumours, which should not be ignored.

Warning signs and symptoms of early brain tumours

Headaches

According to Dr. Shetty, out of all of these symptoms, headaches are probably one of the most common. “Headaches can be severe, recurrent, or persistent. Some patients also complain of severe early morning headaches associated with vomiting—this occurs in patients with increased intracranial pressure,” Dr. Shetty told Times Now.

When patients present with these characteristic headaches, a detailed evaluation is often required.

Seizures indicate sudden episodes of involuntary convulsions caused by uncontrolled electrical impulses in the brain. While seizures can be caused by other conditions like epilepsy, a brain tumour can irritate the neurones in the brain – leading to muscle contractions, twitching, numbness, and tingling.

“Patients presenting with unprovoked seizures or late-onset and adult-onset seizures should consult a doctor for clinical evaluation and imaging to rule out any lesion or tumour in the brain,” said Dr. Shetty.

Your vision can be affected because of direct involvement of the optic nerves by the tumour or secondary to increased pressure in the brain because of a tumour elsewhere in the brain. “Some patients have a loss of peripheral vision – this is especially common with tumours like pituitary tumours and one side of their field of vision might be affected,” said Dr. Shetty.

A few other patients may also have diplopia or the problem of double vision.

According to Dr. Shetty, apart from these common symptoms, a few other symptoms may also be present, which include gradual, progressive hearing loss. “When this occurs, especially in children, young adults, or middle-aged persons, a detailed evaluation is mandatory,” he said.

Audiometry and imaging tests can help evaluate the cause of hearing loss. Some patients may present with imbalance while walking or difficulty with coordination of movements. This is seen when tumours arise in the cerebellum, the area of the brain that controls or coordinates movement.

Other important red flags include gradually progressing weakness on one side of the body or numbness on one side – this occurs when the tumour arises in the motor or sensory cortices of the brain.

There are a number of myths surrounding brain tumours and their presentations. The most common ones are:

Not all brain tumours affect cognitive function. Cognition may be affected depending on where the tumour is located, but tumours in non-eloquent areas of the brain can remain silent for many years without causing cognitive decline, behavioral changes, or memory issues.

All brain tumours are not cancerous, as many can be benign and non-fatal. Patients with these benign tumours when treated appropriately, go on to lead a normal life.

Most brain tumours are hereditary

Only a few brain tumours are hereditary, but the majority are not.

Brain tumours do not necessarily affect only older people, as they can occur at any age, including children, young, and middle-aged adults.

As of now, there is no conclusive evidence to say that the use of cell phones can cause brain tumours.

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