Brain Tumor, What Is It?
The brain tumor is nothing more than an abnormal multiplication of brain cells, which will turn into a cell mass inside the skull. This originating mass can be of two types: benign or malignant. It is important to note that brain tumors do not always originate in the brain, in some cases the appearance of this type of tumor may have been due to metastasis, that is, when a tumor originates in a specific location on the body and after some time invades blood vessels and can spread to other parts.
– Benign tumors : Cells multiply more slowly, resemble normal tissue and, in most diagnoses, the tumor is treatable and can be removed through surgery and treatment appropriate to the type of case.
– Malignant tumors : Cells multiply very quickly and have the ability to invade structures close (eg, blood vessels) to the place of origin. Usually the cure for this type of tumor will depend a lot on the early diagnosis and the choice of treatment to be used. Only in this category that the term fits: brain cancer.
Q HAT the main signs of tumor in the brain or brain tumor ?
Brain tumors have several ways to present signs, we list below a summary of how it can happen in our body:
Brain tumour
– As we know, our brain is vital to maintain the normal performance of all our bodily functions. However, when a brain invasion caused by the presence of the tumor occurs, it can damage places where it should contain only healthy neurons, causing some functional damage to our body.
– The tumor can also cause a compression of some nearby structure. It turns out, our skull does not have the capacity to expand to accommodate more mass in its interior, so, with increased pressure, the brain starts to be “squeezed” against the cranial wall, which can lead to serious brain damage.
When we talk about brain tumor, there are many types of possible clinical manifestations, but they are basically restricted to factors related to the speed of growth and place of origin within the brain.
Here in this text we will treat only the main symptoms that are reported by the medical community, whether in cases of benign or malignant brain tumors.
What Are The Main Symptoms Of Brain Tumor Or Brain Tumor?
– Headache in brain tumor : Also called headache, headache is a common symptom in patients diagnosed with brain tumor, where half of these patients report being the worst symptom.
Headaches are usually constant and last for a while. Contrary to what everyone thinks, in some cases they are not usually of high intensity, and may go unnoticed like the pain of a simple migraine. This type of pain can act in a pulsating manner. A more severe headache usually occurs when the tumor is causing great pressure inside the skull, or when there is some damage to the meninges (membranes that line our brain), causing tumor meningitis.
We now know that more than 95% of people who complain of headaches do not have any problems related to a brain tumor. This does not exclude the possibility of a tumor, so the most recommended is to see a doctor, in cases where pain is recurrent.
There are some characteristic symptoms that do not serve as a rule in association with the brain tumor, but are generally related to the problem. Below we list some of them:
– Nausea and vomiting (about 40% of tumor patients)
– Changes in the pattern or intensity of pain that the individual is experiencing
– The headache arises when the person moves around, performs daily movements, or body maneuvers that increase intrathoracic pressure (ex: coughing; sneezing)
– Headache located in a specific region of the skull
– Headaches that are so intense that they can cause the individual to wake up in the middle of sleep.
Woman With Brain Tumor
Among the possible symptoms that we mentioned above, the main factor that must be observed is that the head tumor of the brain tumor is almost always linked to other very apparent symptoms, for example we can mention one of the neurological symptoms, which is the seizure. Studies suggest that only 15% of brain tumor patients have headache as the only symptom, it is observed that most of them develop apparent symptoms within a few months.
– Seizures in brain tumor : Seizures are reported as one of the most common symptoms in patients diagnosed with gliomas (type of brain tumor) and brain metastases. Patients who do not have a seizure, with the progression of the disease may start to present this symptom. It is estimated that 60% of patients with brain tumor will have some case of seizure in the course of the disease.
The seizure is caused by the incorrect functioning of neurons, causing electrical discharges in the wrong regions within the brain, causing the body to react with involuntary movements, loss of consciousness and / or loss of some sensory function. This type of symptom may be the first to appear and is more common in milder forms of the disease, as well as smaller tumors.
– Fainting or Syncope in brain tumor : Due to the increased pressure inside the skull, this can cause a temporary blockage of blood transport in the brain, leading the individual to loss of consciousness. Patients with this condition are generally the most susceptible to recurrent suffering from this symptom. When physical efforts occur that further increase this cranial pressure (eg, coughing, sneezing, vomiting), the problem can become worse.
– Sensory, behavioral changes and memory loss : The variation of some cognitive function may be associated with a brain tumor, as well as memory loss and changes in mood or behavior. Most cognitive problems are reported as mild, where patients basically complain of having little disposition, tiredness is frequent and the desire to sleep as well. Memory failures are reported as mild and are usually associated with recent memories, not long-term ones (eg childhood memories).
– Neurological problems in brain tumor : The problems caused by this type of symptom will depend a lot on the region where the brain was affected. Thus, the patient may present focal neurological symptoms, being more specific (eg, loss of speech and / or hearing), noise in the ear, loss of muscle tone, loss of motor coordination, visual changes, among others.
