Warning Signs of Brain Tumor

Warning Signs of Brain Tumor
Brain tumor is formed by abnormal growth of brain cells. Brain tumor causes different symptoms depending on its type. Read on to know in detail about the warning signs of brain tumor.

Brain is the vital organ in the body... the center of intelligence and the origin of our thoughts and imaginations. It controls a number of processes in the body, including breathing, heartbeats, blood pressure and body temperature. Brain is protected by three membranes, called meninges and bony skull. Brain tumor is caused by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the brain. Brain tumor can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Malignant brain tumors are very dangerous and life-threatening. Family history of brain tumor and/or exposure to radiation or chemicals in certain industries like health care, agricultural or electrical etc. increases the risk of brain tumor.

Types of Brain Tumor

There are two major types of brain tumor, namely, primary and secondary or metastatic brain tumor. Primary brain tumor originates in the brain itself or near the brain, in the meninges, pineal gland, cranial nerves or pituitary gland. This type of tumor results from mutations in DNA of the brain cells. There are several types of primary brain tumor, depending upon the type of cells involved. Major types are brain stem glioma, acoustic neuroma, astrocytoma, ependymoblastoma, ependymoma, meningioma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, oligodendroglioma and pineoblastoma.

Secondary brain tumor is caused by metastatic cancer that originates in other organs and spreads into the brain. It is a more common type of brain cancer than the former one. The most common types of cancer that can spread to the brain are colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma, sarcoma and neuroblastoma.

Warning Signs of Brain Tumor

The severity of the symptoms of brain tumor depends upon location, size and type of the tumor. Symptoms may result from increased pressure on the brain due to tumor growth, or damages to specific areas of the brain. The most common warning signs of brain tumor are seizures, vomiting, nausea, headache, muscle weakness, hearing and vision problems as well as behavioral changes.

General signs and symptoms of brain tumor are headache that is persistent and worsens with activity, nausea, vomiting (more common in children than adults), lethargy, weakness, numbness or tingling in arms or legs, difficulty in balance or coordination, sleep apnea, speech difficulties, confusion, memory impairment, loss of sensation and hormonal disorders like endocrine diseases. Brain tumor can also lead to vision problems like blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision or double vision.

The position of tumor in the brain can also cause certain symptoms. Each part of the brain is responsible for controlling specific functions. If that part is damaged by the tumor growth, then it affects the functional ability of the brain. In case of frontal lobe tumor, there are symptoms like changes in personality, weakness on one side of body and loss of smell. Parietal lobe tumor causes difficulty in understanding or expressing words, difficulties in certain movements and problems with reading or writing. Tumor in the cerebral hemispheres can lead to personality or behavioral changes.

Since brain tumor is a life-threatening condition, it is important to understand its early warning signs. If brain tumor is accurately diagnosed in its initial stage, then it can be cured through appropriate treatments.
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source:wikipedia