General Symptoms
Brain tumor symptoms depend very much on the size of the tumor
and where it is located within the brain. Some general symptoms
include:
- Headaches, often not limited to a specific site in the
head. Usually, these headaches are persistent, and they
tend to get worse with activity, at night, or in the early
morning.
- Convulsions (fits or seizures), particularly in people
over 40 with no previous history of seizures. This is often
a strong indication of a brain tumor.
- Vomiting with or without nausea.
- Subtle changes in personality, memory, mental ability.
- Drowsiness and/or lethargy.
Symptoms Depending on Tumor Location
Different areas of the brain are "control centers"
for many important functions; so, brain tumor symptoms can
be location specific. Symptoms might occur on the right side
of the body if the tumor is located on the left side of the
brain and vice-versa, depending on the specific brain structure
affected. Most people have their speech center in the left
side of the brain. A brain tumor in this area can mean a patient
has difficulty saying the correct words, even though he or
she is fully capable of understanding what is being said.
If the tumor is in the frontal lobe, the patient's activities
controlled by the frontal lobe will be affected such as intellectual
functioning, thought process, behavior, and memory. The following
symptoms may be due to a tumor’s effect on specific
brain structures:
- blurred or double vision.
- weakness, often one-sided, in the arms or legs; stumbling
or lack of co-ordination.
- impaired memory.
- slurring of speech or difficulty speaking.
- difficulty swallowing.
- problems with smelling and hearing.
- inability of eyes to gaze upwards.
All of these symptoms can be caused by conditions other than
cancer. However, people who notice any symptoms should always
see their doctor.
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