Each year in the United States, nearly 20,000 patients are newly diagnosed with a brain tumor, reports Radiation Medical Group, a leading radiation therapy provider in San Diego, California. A brain tumor can occur when unregulated cells within unusual clumps of tissue begin to grown in the brain. Patients who develop any of the medical symptoms of a brain tumor should contact a medical professional immediately to receive further evaluation and care.
Head Pain
The most common---and obvious---symptom of a brain tumor is head pain. Excessive tumor growth within the brain can increase pressure levels within the skull, leading to headaches, explain health professionals at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford in California. A patient with a brain tumor can develop recurrent headaches that are moderate to severe in intensity. Patients who develop these chronic headache symptoms should speak with a doctor promptly.
Nausea or Vomiting
Painful sensations within the head can induce stomach upset symptoms in certain patients with brain tumors. As a result, affected patients can experience nausea or may begin to vomit. These stomach-related symptoms of a brain tumor are typically most severe upon waking in the morning, reports the National Brain Tumor Society. Riding in a car or moving about can exacerbate these symptoms and result in a loss of appetite in affected patients.
Mood or Personality Changes
Tumor growth in the brain can lead to mood or personality changes in certain patients. Affected patients can become unusually irritable, depressed or confused, warn health professionals at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. These changes may be most apparent to a patient's colleagues, friends or loved ones and may become more pronounced as the brain tumor progresses. Patients should discuss sudden or radical mood or personality changes with their primary care physician.
Decreased Coordination
A patient who develops a brain tumor can experience decreased coordination as a symptom of this condition. A tumor in the brain can cause brain tissue damage, which can cause an affected patient to have difficulty moving normally or remaining stable while walking. Certain patients can also develop involuntary muscle spasms, called seizures, owing to the presence of a tumor in the brain, reports the National Brain Tumor Society. Patients with these symptoms should discuss them with a physician immediately.
Cognitive, Speech or Vision Difficulties
Cognitive, speech or vision difficulties can arise as symptoms of a brain tumor, according to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. An affected patient may experience memory loss, slurred speech or blurred vision as the tumor grows. These symptoms can significantly interfere with a patient's ability to function normally. Left untreated, these brain tumor symptoms may become permanent.
