If a person is often tormented by severe headaches, a brain tumor is not an accurate diagnosis. In any case, the malaise should not be ignored; it is very important to undergo a medical examination to find out the cause of the disease.
Types of Brain Tumors
A brain tumor can be primary and secondary.
Primary:
- Astrocytoma. Formed in the cerebellum. It is accompanied by convulsions, psychological symptoms. Sometimes it can provoke a violation of coordination.
- Glioma Formed in the brain stem. It is very dangerous for the reason that it is impossible to remove it. It can cause, as it grows, problems with palpitations and breathing, which leads to death.
- Ependymoma. Benign tumor characterized by high intracranial pressure. Can be cured by radiation therapy.
- Oligodendroglioma. A tumor develops very slowly, but it is far from always possible to remove it. Accompanied by severe headaches and cramps. Sometimes accompanied by partial loss of vision.
Secondary:
- Medulloblastoma. Malignant tumor, which most often affects the children's brain stem.
- Schwannoma. Formed in the cranial cavity, accompanied by hearing impairment. Can be removed by surgery.
- Pituitary adenoma. Can be cured early on.
Also, the tumor may be benign or malignant. The attending physician determines the size of the seal, then decides whether the operation can be performed. All the subtleties and nuances, possible consequences, are discussed with the patient. Elderly people sometimes refuse the operation for the reason that this is too much a burden on the body, which can lead to death.
Primary symptom: headache
What headache with a brain tumor is an alarm - in the temporal lobe or in another segment? Any, it makes it clear to a person that a violation has occurred in the body. They may be neurological in nature, but in some cases can be much more serious. It is important to know how the head hurts with a brain tumor, so that at the first symptoms you should immediately consult a doctor.
Nature of pain:
- Severe ailments occur immediately after waking up, pass after a few hours.
- Constant pain during sleep, which is accompanied by weakness, nausea, or severe dizziness.
- Throbbing knock in the temporal region.
- Headache accompanied by numbness or double vision.
- Amid cough or physical exertion, increased malaise.
Pain in the head with a brain tumor depends on many factors, so it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination of the body to make an accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms of the intellectual sphere
Sometimes, the only symptoms that indicate the presence of a brain tumor are intellectual disorders.
How do they appear:
- Memory impairment is noted.
- The nature of behavior is changing.
- It is very difficult for a person to concentrate.
- Constant drowsiness.
- Logical thinking is minimized.
- A person becomes apathetic. The desire to communicate with friends, close relatives disappears.
- Persecute constant stress, even a small trifle can infuriate.
A person can be haunted not only by a headache with a brain tumor. Symptoms of impaired intellectual ability are also an alarm.
Other symptoms
- Instability of coordination of movements, it is difficult to maintain balance.
- Dizziness, deafness and difficulty speaking.
- Hands and feet lose sensitivity - this is the first sign of a brain tumor. They can manifest as a slight numbness.
If you find any of these symptoms, you should not wait until the condition worsens even more. A timely examination can save you from many diseases. The first sign of a brain tumor should be an alarm - you need to visit a doctor. A progressive illness can trigger dangerous consequences.
Risk factors
Doctors have identified major risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing a brain tumor.
- Age category. Most often, the disease develops in people over 45 years old. However, some types of tumors are possible only in young children. A person is not immune from diseases at any age.
- Radiation - now almost everyone is exposed to it. Mobile phones, televisions, microwaves - this is far from all the equipment that emits harmful rays to health. Over time, all this is delayed and develops into ailments. The nature of the headache in brain tumors can have a different origin, but if the pain strongly gives to the temporal lobe, an urgent need to be checked.
- Chemistry. If a person works in an enterprise associated with the chemical industry, then you should be extremely careful with your health. Studies have shown that some industries can trigger headaches. The brain tumor in this case grows very quickly, so it is important to diagnose it in time.
- Heredity. Some types of tumors can be transmitted from generation to generation. If an ailment is often found in the history of family diseases, then it is necessary to undergo a regular examination to protect yourself.
Medical examination
If during the checkup the doctor suspects that an ailment is developing, he recommends that the patient undergo several procedures to make an accurate diagnosis. Pain with a brain tumor may not bother much, so the symptoms are not always visible to the naked eye, a deeper examination is needed.
- Neurology. Consultation with a neurologist is required. He will test hearing, vision, reflexes and overall coordination. If violations are detected, this will help determine the reason why headaches occur. A brain tumor is easier to diagnose when as much information as possible on the symptoms is collected.
- MRI This is a special device that, using radio waves, generates an image of the state of the brain on the screen. Based on the results of the examination, a specialist can accurately determine if there is a tumor or not.
- Tissue biopsy. It is carried out if the tumor is in an inaccessible place. The neurosurgeon carefully drills a small hole in the cranium, inserts a needle and takes a tissue sample. Next, a check is performed, during which you can find out whether a malignant tumor or benign.
Patients are often interested in where the head hurts with a brain tumor. A definite answer to this question cannot be given because symptoms can be felt both in the temporal lobe and in any other. Does the head really hurt with a brain tumor? In some, the symptoms manifest clearly, while others do not feel the ailment until the condition sharply begins to worsen.
Possible consequences
Depending on which area of the brain has been affected, the ailment can entail certain complications.
Brain tumor - consequences:
- Weakness. If the disease affects the 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 his legs and arms. The sensations are very similar to the condition after a stroke.
- Vision. If the optic nerve is affected, then in the best case, a person will double in his eyes, or he will see worse. However, if the disease was not eliminated at the initial stage, then the consequences may be worse - lifelong blindness. It is important to remember that if a severe headache is felt with a brain tumor, the symptoms may develop further. You can not wait, otherwise it will be even worse.
- Pain in the temporal region. Does the head hurt with a brain tumor? Of course. Moreover, the pain caused by this ailment is regular and unbearable. Very often accompanied by vomiting and dizziness.
- Hearing. If the tumor touches the auditory nerve, a person may partially or completely lose hearing. Moreover, then it cannot be restored later, even if the main ailment is eliminated.
- Psychological change. Changes in human behavior, his worldview and manner of communication. Mental disorders are extremely rare, mainly in older people.
- Brain coma. This is the worst complication a tumor can cause. The brain simply dies, as a result of which a person dies.
Surgery
When a person is diagnosed with a brain tumor, the surgeon finds out its size and location. If the seal is in the place where it can be taken out, then operations are carried out. The surgeon removes the tumor as much as possible.
Often there are cases when the tumor is small in size, therefore it is easy to get rid of it. The surgeon separates the formation from the brain tissue, eliminating the possibility of postoperative consequences.
It happens that a tumor has 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 part of the brain is affected, this can adversely affect human health, including death. In such cases, the doctor can only suggest removing those parts of the tumor that are in a safe area. Of course, the operation will 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 using special equipment and microscopes. An experienced doctor must take a biopsy of the damaged area, only after that he stipulates the possibility of surgery from patients, warns him of the possible consequences.
After the operation, the attending physician conducts a second examination in order to determine whether they managed to completely get rid of the cancer cells.
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 right near the focus of the problem.
Why do we need remote radiation therapy? Very often, doctors recommend patients to undergo this procedure after surgery. 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, radiation therapy is also used. This is the only method that can give a person hope for a partial or complete cure.
This procedure may contribute to the development of some side effects (the degree depends on the dose received). A person feels weakness, strong constant fatigue, pain in the temporal region. However, over time, the body recovers, immunity strengthens, side effects disappear.
Radiation therapy is constantly being improved. Now known methods that use a cyber knife, gamma knife or linear accelerator. These methods are more reliable and guarantee the best effective result.
Radiosurgery method
The essence of the method is that the effect on the tumor is due to several beams of rays, and not one. They pass directly through the tissue of the disease and act on the root of the problem.
Modern technologies allow such an operation to be done as quickly and simply as possible. Often, work is done using a gamma knife. Radiosurgery is considered an excellent alternative to surgery. It is painless, effective and allows the doctor to remove the tumor without a scalpel.
Most importantly, the gamma knife allows you to get to the tumor even in the most inaccessible places. Now even an inoperable seal can be eliminated as efficiently as possible. In some cases, radiosurgery is the person’s only chance of recovery.
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 for the reason that the drug enters the bloodstream, spreads throughout the body and kills all foci of tumor formation.
Another method of administering the drug is to the spine. Treatment affects only the central nervous system of a person. Sometimes chemotherapy has to be done right during the operation. When the surgeon removes the tumor, he places special capsules in the form of disks in the free space. Within a few days, these capsules secrete 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 the final decision only after the patient undergoes a full examination and passes all the necessary tests.
Chemotherapy can cause nausea and headaches in a person. A brain tumor is a serious disease, any interference in this area is dangerous. You need to be prepared for any side effects after taking the medicine. Patients are warned in advance that hair will fall out after chemotherapy.
Rehabilitation period
A person who has had surgery to remove a brain tumor just needs to undergo rehabilitation. The disease can affect the organs of hearing, vision, motor skills. There are cases when patients for a certain period of time recovered on their own.
However, in cases where the tumor was large, rehabilitation without medical assistance is impossible. It includes:
- Recovery of cognitive functions. Logical tasks, reading and mathematical counting are elementary exercises that are recommended to patients after surgery. They will help restore thinking.
- Physiotherapy. If the tumor has led to the loss of motor skills, then physiotherapy will help restore them. The rehabilitation period depends on the individual characteristics of the person and the desire to recover. People aged usually need more time to restore motor skills.
- Work. If a person is able to return to work, this is the right step. Recovering in place will help to cope with the disease at a psychological level.
Preventative measures
A brain tumor is a diagnosis that cannot be prepared for. Most often, the ailment is simply taken by surprise. You just need to know a few symptoms, to know how the head hurts with a brain tumor. And if there is any suspicion, then immediately consult a doctor.
General recommendations - lead a healthy lifestyle, try to eat more seasonal fruits and vegetables. They contain a large number of vitamins and minerals that help strengthen immunity.
Strong immunity is the key to health, so it must always be maintained in good shape. Each person sometimes needs to listen to his body, to the signals that he gives. Sometimes these signals can mean nothing, and sometimes be a warning.