Brain Tumor Symptoms: An Introduction
A brain tumor usually develops over time. As brain tumor cells start to grow, they spread more deeply into the brain and crowd or invade the surrounding healthy brain tissue. In rare cases,
brain cancer cells may break away from a brain tumor and spread to other parts of the brain, the spinal cord, or other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.
In other cases, a malignant tumor will not extend into healthy tissue because it is contained within a layer of tissue, the bones of the skull, or another structure in the head. This kind of tumor is called an encapsulated tumor. It is helpful to understand how a brain tumor grows in order to understand brain tumor symptoms.
Brain tumor symptoms will depend on the tumor size, type, and location. Some symptoms of a brain tumor may be caused when a tumor presses on a nerve or damages a certain area of the brain. Symptoms can also be caused when the brain swells or fluid builds up within the skull.
Common Brain Tumor Symptoms
Common brain tumor symptoms include:
- Headaches (that are usually worse in the morning)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Changes in speech, vision, or hearing
- Problems balancing or walking
- Changes in mood, personality, or ability to concentrate
- Problems with memory
- Muscle jerking or twitching (seizures or convulsions)
- Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs.
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