Headaches: a brain tumor. The first symptoms of a brain tumor

If a person is often tormented by severe headaches, a brain tumor is not yet an accurate diagnosis. In any case, the malaise should not be avoided, it is very important to have a checkup with a doctor to find out the cause of the ailment.

Types of brain tumors

Tumor of the brain can be primary and secondary.

Primary:

1. An astrocytoma. It forms in the cerebellum. It is accompanied by convulsions, symptoms of a psychological nature. Sometimes it can provoke a violation of coordination.
2. Glioma. It forms in the brain stem. Very dangerous for the reason that you can not remove it. It can cause, as it grows, problems with palpitation and breathing, which leads to death.
3. Ependymoma. Benign tumor, characterized by high intracranial pressure. You can cure radiation therapy.
4. Oligodendroglioma. The tumor develops very slowly, but it does not always remove it. It is accompanied by severe headaches and cramps. Sometimes accompanied by a partial loss of vision.

Secondary:

1. Medulloblastoma. Malignant tumor, which most often affects the child's brain stem.
2. Schwannoma. It forms in the cavity of the skull, accompanied by hearing impairment. Can be removed by surgery.
3. Pituitary adenoma. Can be cured at an early stage.

Also, the tumor can be benign or malignant. The attending physician determines the size of the compaction, then decides whether the operation can be performed. With the patient all the subtleties and nuances, possible consequences are discussed. Sometimes older people refuse surgery because it is too much strain on the body, which can lead to death.

Primary symptom: headache

What headache with a brain tumor is an alarm signal - in the temporal lobe or in another segment? Any, it gives a person to understand that the body has been disturbed. They may be neurological, but in some cases they can be much more serious. It is important to know how the head hurts in the brain tumor, so that at the first symptoms, immediately consult a doctor.

Nature of pain:

1. Severe ailments occur immediately after awakening, pass several hours later.
2. Constant pain during sleep, which is accompanied by weakness, nausea or severe dizziness.
3. Pulsating knocking in the temporal region.
4. Headache, which is accompanied by numbness or diplopia in the eyes.
5. Against the background of coughing or physical exertion, severe ailments.

The pain in the head with a brain tumor depends on many factors, so it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination of the body for an accurate diagnosis.

Symptomatics of intellectual sphere

Sometimes the only symptoms that indicate the presence of a brain tumor are violations of an intellectual nature.

How they manifest themselves:

1. Memory deterioration is noted.
2. The character of behavior changes.
3. It is very difficult for a person to concentrate.
4. Constant drowsiness.
5. Logical thinking is minimized.
6. Man becomes apathetic. The desire to communicate with friends, close relatives disappears.
7. Pursue constant stresses, even a small trifle can make you crazy.

Man can not give rest, not only a headache with a brain tumor. Symptoms of intellectual disabilities are also a warning signal.

Other symptoms

1. Instability of coordination of movements, it is difficult to keep balance.
2. Dizziness, deafness and difficulty speaking.
3. Hands and feet lose sensitivity - this is the first sign of a brain tumor. They can manifest as a small numbness.

If you find any of these symptoms, you should not wait until the condition worsens even more. A timely examination can save many diseases. The first sign of a brain tumor should become a warning signal - you need to visit a doctor. Progressive ailment can provoke dangerous consequences.

Risk factors

Doctors identified the main risk factors that increase the possibility of developing a brain tumor.

1. Age category. Most often, the ailment develops in people over 45 years of age. However, some types of tumors are possible only in young children. A person is not immune from diseases at any age.
2. Radiation - now almost everything is subject to it. Mobile phones, TV, microwave ovens - it's not all technology, which emits harmful rays. Over time, all this is postponed and grows into ailments. The nature of the headache in brain tumors may have a different origin, but if the pain is strongly imparted to the temporal lobe, it is urgent to be checked.
3. Chemistry. If a person works in an enterprise related to the chemical industry, then it's worth to be extremely careful with your health. Studies have shown that some industries can provoke headaches. The tumor of the brain in this case grows very quickly, so it is important to diagnose it in time.
4. Heredity. Some types of tumors can be transmitted from generation to generation. If in the history of family illnesses often there is a malaise, then it is necessary to undergo a regular examination in order to protect yourself.

Medical Examination

If during the checkup the doctor suspects that the disease develops, he recommends that the patient undergo several procedures for accurate diagnosis. Pain with a brain tumor can strongly not bother, so the symptoms are not always visible to the naked eye, a deeper examination is needed.

1. Neurology. Consultation with a neurologist is mandatory. He will check the hearing, sight, reflexes and overall coordination. If violations are detected, this will help to determine the cause of headaches. It is easier to diagnose a brain tumor when there is as much information as possible on the symptoms.
2. MRI. This is a special device, which by means of radio waves generates an image of the state of the brain on the screen. According to the results of the examination, a specialist can determine exactly whether there is a tumor or not.
3. Biopsy of tissue. It is carried out in the event that the tumor is in a remote place. A neurosurgeon drills a neatly small hole in the skull, introduces the needle and takes a tissue sample. Further, a check is made, during which it is possible to find out whether the malignant tumor is benign or benign.

Patients very often wonder where the headache is with a brain tumor. An unequivocal answer to this question can not be given because the symptoms can be felt both in the temporal lobe, and in any other. Does the head ache with a brain tumor? Some symptoms manifest themselves clearly, others do not feel any illness until the time when the condition sharply starts to deteriorate.

Possible consequences

Depending on which area of the brain was affected, the ailment can entail certain complications.

Tumor of the brain - consequences:

1. Weakness. If the disease struck that part of the brain that is responsible for the coordination of movements, then it is quite possible that a person will often feel weakness in the legs and hands. The sensations are very similar to the condition after a stroke.
2. Vision. If the optic nerve is affected, at best a person will double in the eyes, or he will become worse to see. However, if the ailment was not eliminated at the primary stage, the consequences may be worse - lifelong blindness. It is important to remember that if you feel a strong headache with a brain tumor, the symptoms can develop further. You can not wait, otherwise it will be even worse.
3. Pain in the temporal region. Is the head aching with a brain tumor? Of course. And the pain caused by this ailment is regular and unbearable. Very often accompanied by vomiting and dizziness.
4. Hearing. If the tumor touches the auditory nerve, a person may lose some or all of their hearing. And then it can not be restored, even if the underlying ailment is eliminated.
5. Psychological change. Changing human behavior, his worldview and the manner of communication. Disorders of the psyche are extremely rare, mostly in the elderly.
6. Brain coma. This is the most terrible complication to which a tumor can lead. The brain simply dies, as a result of which a person dies.

Surgical intervention

When a person is diagnosed with a brain tumor, the surgeon determines the size and location of the brain. If the seal is in the place where it can be reached, then operations are performed. The surgeon removes the tumor as much as possible.

Often there are cases when the tumor is small in size, so you can easily get rid of it. The surgeon separates the formation from the brain tissue, excluding the possibility of the occurrence of postoperative consequences.

It happens that the tumor is formed in the sensitive area of the brain. The surgeon does not always take up the operation for the reason that it is risky. If a part of the brain is touched, this can negatively affect human health, up to a lethal outcome. In such cases, the doctor can only suggest removing those parts of the tumor that are in the safe area. Of course, the operation does not completely relieve the ailment, but it will weaken the symptoms of the disease.

Any operation to remove a brain tumor is a big risk. It is carried out with the use of special equipment and microscopes. An experienced doctor must take a biopsy of the affected area, only after this stipulates the possibility of surgery from patients, warns him about the possible consequences.

After the operation, the attending physician conducts a second examination in order to determine whether the cancer cells have been completely eliminated.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is one of the most effective and modern techniques used in the treatment of brain tumors. The radiation source is sometimes located outside the patient's body, in some cases it is necessary to place it directly near the source of the problem.

Why do you need remote radiation therapy? Very often, doctors recommend that patients undergo this procedure after surgery. The rays affect a specific area or the entire brain. Such irradiation helps to "kill" the cells that contributed to the development of the tumor.

When the tumor is inoperable, radiotherapy is also used. This is the only method that can give a person hope for a partial or complete cure.

This procedure can promote the development of some side effects (the degree depends on the dose received). A person feels weak, strong constant fatigue, pain in the temporal region. However, over time, the body is restored, immunity is strengthened, side effects are lost.

Radiation therapy is constantly being improved. Now techniques are known where a cyber knife, gamma knife or linear accelerator is used. These methods are more reliable and guarantee the best effective result.

Method of radiosurgery

The essence of the method is that the effect on the tumor occurs due to several beams of rays, rather than one. They pass right through the tissue of the ailment and affect the root of the problem.

Modern technologies allow such an operation to be done as quickly and simply as possible. Often, work is done with a gamma knife. Radiosurgery is considered an excellent alternative to surgical intervention. It is painless, effective and allows the doctor to remove the tumor without a scalpel.

The most important thing is that the gamma knife allows you to reach the tumor even in the most inaccessible places. Now even inoperable compaction can be eliminated as effectively as possible. In some cases, radiosurgery is the only chance for a person to be cured.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a procedure that is carried out with the help of special drugs that can kill cancer cells. Most often the patient is injected into the veins. This method is considered the most effective because the drug enters the bloodstream, spreads through the body and kills all the foci of tumor formation.

Another method of injecting the drug is into the spine. Treatment only affects the central nervous system of a person. Sometimes chemotherapy has to be done right on time. When the surgeon removes the swelling, it places special capsules in the form of discs into the free space. Within a few days, these capsules emit a special substance that kills the remaining cancer cells.

The method of drug administration depends on the type of tumor and its location. The surgeon can make a final decision only after the patient has undergone a complete examination and will pass all the necessary tests.

Chemotherapy can cause a person to have nausea and headaches. A brain tumor is a serious disease, any intervention in this area is dangerous. You need to be prepared for any side effects after you enter the medication. Patients are warned in advance that after chemotherapy hair falls out.

Rehabilitation period

A person who has had an operation to remove a brain tumor, just need to undergo rehabilitation. The disease can affect the organs of hearing, sight, and motor skills. There are cases when patients for a certain period of time restored independently.

However, in cases where the tumor was large, rehabilitation without medical assistance is impossible. It includes:

1. Recovery of cognitive functions. Logical tasks, reading and math are elementary exercises that are recommended to patients after surgery. They will help restore thinking.
2. Physiotherapy. If the tumor leads to loss of motor skills, then physiotherapy will help them recover. Rehabilitation period depends on the individual characteristics of the person and the desire to recover. Older people usually need more time to restore their motor skills.
3. Work. If a person is able to return to work - this is the right step. Recovery in its place will help to cope with the disease on a psychological level.

Preventive measures

A brain tumor is a diagnosis, it is impossible to prepare for it. Most often, the ailment just catches unawares. You just need to know a few symptoms, know how your head hurts when you have a brain tumor. And if there are suspicions, then it's urgent to see a doctor.

Recommendations common - to lead a healthy lifestyle, try to consume more seasonal vegetables and fruits. They contain a large number of vitamins and trace elements, which contribute to strengthening immunity.

Strong immunity is a guarantee of health, so it should always be maintained in tone. Every person sometimes needs to listen to his body, to the signals that he gives. Sometimes these signals can mean nothing, and at times be a warning.