Head Tumor Symptoms
Cancers are pretty nasty things but, thankfully, many types can be cured, or at least treated. Others, however, are much harder to treat and people with them are likely to be looking at a considerably shortened life. One of these types is head tumors, and they are among the hardest to treat of all.
Not all head tumors are necessarily terminal and some people will make a full recovery. As with all types of cancer, the patient has a greater chance of survival and recovery if the tumor is caught early on in its development. This means that regular check-ups are a good idea, and it also pays to know more about tumors and what to look out for.
1. Tumor
A tumor is basically a group of cells that grow in an abnormal manner to form a mass of tissue. Usually, when cells develop a problem they will die off and be replaced by fresh cells. In a tumor, however, these cells do not die and will continue to multiply.
They can occur in pretty much any part of the body, and they can also affect people of all ages. They can occur in the head, including the brain, and they can cause some potentially severe problems. Depending on the type of tumor, it can spread to the rest of the brain, consuming the brain as it goes.
2. Benign
If you do find out that you have a tumor, there is no reason to begin panicking straight away. A lot of tumors are benign and this means that they will not spread to other parts of the body. Instead, the tumor will remain in the affected part only, often without doing any harm.
That does not mean to say that benign tumors are completely harmless. If they grow too much then they can begin to put pressure against nearby tissues and organs, such as the brain, and this can cause some serious problems. Treating benign brain tumors is relatively straightforward in comparison to malignant tumors.
3. Malignant
Malignant tumors, however, are a much bigger problem. Malignant tumors can begin to overtake nearby tissues in addition to their original host tissues. In addition, malignant tumor cells will sometimes break away from the original tumor and end up in the bloodstream. When they eventually settle elsewhere, they can form a whole new tumor, and this can occur numerous times in the body.
That malignant tumors will overtake nearby tissues makes them a lot harder to treat than benign tumors. They are also more likely to return after being removed and are much more of a threat to the patients life.
4. Headaches
Regardless of whether or not a head tumor is malignant or benign, the patient is likely to experience headaches. This is not necessarily the case where benign tumors are concerned depending on how large they grow.
If headaches are present then there’s a good chance that they will be persistent, and they are also likely to cause severe pain. A lot of people will try to shrug off a headache, after all they are very common. If you do have a headache that feels more painful than usual, or won’t go away, then you should arrange to get it checked out.
5. Speech Problems
Speech usually comes to us without even having to think about it, and even the average person has an impressive vocabulary. Not only do we need to be able to recall the words we need in a moment, but we also need the ability to move our vocal cords and mouth in a specific way to make the appropriate sounds.
All of this is done with help from the brain so, if the brain was to have a problem, our speech is likely to be affected. The patient can start slurring words and can also struggle to find the words that they need when speaking. Our sight is also processed by the brain, so the patient might also experience problems with their vision.
6. Drowsiness
We all get tired. It is perfectly natural as our bodies begin to run out of fuel and/or our brains need to rest. As such, drowsiness is in itself nothing to be concerned about but it should be of concern if it persists for no apparent reason.
A head tumor is likely to affect how efficiently the brain can operate, leaving us feeling drowsy. In addition, the patient may also be feeling nauseous, and this can also cause them to vomit regularly. If these symptoms do persist and you are unable to explain why then you should arrange an appointment with your doctor.
7. Paralysis
Our muscles move when they are told to do so by our brains. This movement is often deliberate, in that our conscious mind makes the decision to move. It is also often involuntary, meaning that our subconscious mind has chosen to move the muscle without us being aware of doing it.
If there was a problem with the brain, however, then it would not be able to send the necessary signals to the muscles in order for them to be able to move. This can leave the patient paralyzed, or at least feeling weaker than usual. In cases of a head tumor, the paralyses will be only slight to begin with and get progressively worse.
8. Behavioral Changes
Our brains determine pretty much everything about who we are as people. They determine our intelligence, our memory, our likes and fears, and what kind of personality we have. All this information is stored in our brain and, if our brain begins to change, then our behavior can also begin to change. people who have a head tumor will often find that they begin to lose their ability to remember things.
They can begin to act in ways that are different to how they usually would and their personality can change to the point where its as though they are a different person.
9. Seizures
Messages from the brain are sent with the help of neurons, a specialized type of cell that transmits information from one cell to another. They are packed tightly together in the brain and it is largely down to the vast number of neurons in the brain that our brains are as powerful as they are.
A head tumor can push against nearby neurons, or take them over completely, and this can affect the signals that are sent from the brain. These signals can cause the muscles to contract and relax rapidly, causing what is known as a seizure. Seizures can be dangerous and they are a sign that the patients tumor is at an advanced stage.
10. Treatment
As mentioned, a benign tumor is easier to treat than a malignant tumor. Depending on the specifics of the case, surgery may be performed to remove the offending tumor, but this is often not possible. Many patients will need to undergo chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy to try to destroy or slow the cancerous cells.
In some instances, there is little that can be done other than trying to treat the symptoms. Steroids are often prescribed to help reduce the swelling caused by the tumor. There is also always a chance that the tumor will return, so patients will need to return for regular check-ups.
