A brain tumor can cause increased pressure within the enclosed casing of the skull. It can also push parts of the brain into the bony structures of the skull and shift the brain. The location of the tumor determines which parts of the brain it affects and the kinds of symptoms that arise. Symptoms may appear in very subtle form, then worsen slowly, or they may come on quite suddenly. The National Brain Tumor Society explains that those symptoms can vary from a headache to a stroke.
Seizure
Seizures appear on the list of commonly occurring early brain tumor symptoms published on the University of California Healthcare Irvine web site. The tumor can interfere with the passage of electrical currents though the brain, and those disturbances can cause symptoms that include the unusual sensations, convulsions and unconsciousness associated with seizures. The American Brain Tumor Association notes that in a third of cases, the occurrence of a seizure is the initial symptom of a brain tumor: those patients remained unaware of the existence of a brain tumor until that time.
Headache and Vomiting
Headaches that are more painful in the morning and gradually decrease in intensity during the day may be early symptoms of a brain tumor, notes the American Brain Tumor Association. Normal pain medications may prove ineffective with this type of headache. The pain might increase during exercise, while changing body position or when coughing.
Some may also experience neck pain. The headache pain symptoms may wake a person from sleep, and in some cases, he might vomit. After this, the headache may dissipate. Frequently occurring nausea and vomiting without headache may also occur as early brain tumor symptoms.
Movement and Vision Problems
Brain tumor symptoms can include the loss of sensation or movement in a limb. A brain tumor might cause weakness, loss of balance or unsteadiness. A person with a brain tumor might begin to experience double vision or might lose vision in one eye or perhaps both. The loss of vision may have a greater effect on peripheral vision. Some may experience hearing loss, which may or may not be accompanied by dizziness.
Changes in Personality
Changes in a person's usual behavior and habits or personality might appear as early symptoms of a brain tumor, notes University of California Healthcare Irvine. In some cases, she might experience memory problems, become confused or have difficulty concentrating or communicating.
