Brain tumour symptoms

• A quick guide to what's on this page
• Why brain tumours cause symptoms
• The most common symptoms
• Increased pressure in the head
• Symptoms related to where the brain tumour is

Brain tumours cause symptoms for two reasons. Firstly, because they take up space inside the skull as they grow. Secondly, because of where they are in the brain. There is more information below on the symptoms related to the space brain tumours take up and symptoms related to the position of the tumour in the brain.

The most common symptoms of brain tumour people have when they first go to the doctor are headaches and fits. But do remember, brain tumours are rare causes of both headaches and fits. There are much more common reasons for both these symptoms. So if you have either of these, do go to the doctor as soon as possible, but try not to panic or worry too much until you find out more.

As the skull is made of bone, there is a fixed amount of space for the brain to take up. The growing tumour increases the pressure inside this fixed space. You may hear this called 'raised intracranial pressure' or raised ICP. The increase in pressure causes

• Headache
• Sickness
• Drowsiness

Remember - headaches and sickness are very common symptoms of illness. A brain tumour is not a very likely cause if these are the only symptoms you have. You should go to your doctor if

• You are getting very bad headaches
• You have started getting headaches, but do not usually do so
• You are getting them more and more often
• You are getting headaches and sickness together

About 1 in 3 people with a brain tumour first go to their doctor with headaches. A headache caused by a brain tumour tends to be quite bad. But in some people, they can be mild enough to be controlled with paracetamol.

Headaches may last for a long time. They may be worse first thing in the morning and get better during the day. Anything that increases the pressure in your head can make the headache worse again, such as bending over, coughing and sneezing, exercising or even shouting.

With a brain tumour, feeling sick may also be worse in the morning. You may actually be sick. You may also have hiccoughs (hiccups).

Drowsiness is usually a later symptom of a brain tumour. As the tumour grows and the pressure inside the head increases, you may sleep more than usual. Or find yourself dropping off during the day. If this is not treated, you could eventually become more difficult to wake and then become unconscious.

Raised intracranial pressure can also cause

• Problems with your eyes
• Fits

If you are having problems with your eyes, you should see your doctor. This is particularly important if your sight seems to be failing and glasses are not helping. Other problems include blurred vision, floating shapes, tunnel vision, or loss of vision that comes and goes. Sometimes opticians pick up these problems - it is possible to detect raised intracranial pressure through an eye examination.

Fits are one of the commonest symptoms of brain tumours. About 1 in 4 people with a brain tumour have fits when they first go to their doctor. A fit can just be jerking or twitching of a hand, arm or leg. Or they may affect the whole body. Some fits just cause a moment of unconsciousness. Fits can often be controlled with drugs called anti-epileptics. And if your brain tumour is successfully treated, they may stop completely. In some cases, fits continue even after successful treatment because of scar tissue left in the brain. They may then be easier to control with anti-fit medication (anti-epileptic drugs).

Having a fit is very frightening. There are many different causes of fits and it is important to go to your doctor if you have one.

To understand why a brain tumour is causing particular symptoms, it might help to read the page on the brain in this section of CancerHelp UK. It explains what the different parts of the brain do. As a brain tumour grows, it will press on the brain tissue around it. So it will affect the part of the body, or the body process, that is controlled by that part of the brain.

 Here are symptoms that can be caused by tumours in different parts of the brain and the spinal cord:

Position of the tumour	Symptoms
Frontal lobe	Changes in personality Swearing or behaving in a way that you normally wouldn't (loss of inhibitions) Losing interest in life (apathy) Difficulty with planning and organising Being irritable or aggressive Weakness in part of the face, or on one side of the body Difficulty walking Loss of sense of smell Problems with your sight or speech
Temporal lobe	Forgetting words Short term memory loss Fits associated with strange feelings, smells or déjà vu (a feeling you have been somewhere or done something before)
Parietal lobe	Difficulty speaking or understanding what is said to you Problems with reading or writing Loss of feeling in part of the body
Occipital lobe	Sight problems or loss of vision on one side
Hindbrain (cerebellum)	Poor co-ordination Uncontrolled movement of the eyes Sickness Neck stiffness Dizziness
Brain stem	Poor co-ordination Drooping eyelid or mouth on one side Difficulty swallowing Difficulty speaking Seeing double
Spinal cord	Pain Numbness in part of the body Weakness in the legs or arms Loss of control of the bladder or bowel
Pituitary gland	Irregular or infrequent periods Infertility in men and women Lack of energy Weight gain Mood swings High blood pressure Diabetes Enlarged hands and feet
Nerves controlling sight	Failing sight
Hearing nerves	Failing hearing
Meninges	Headache Sickness Sight problems Problems with movement

Remember - any of these symptoms could be caused by another illness. If you are worried, you should go to your doctor. They will send you to a specialist if there is any cause for concern.

Sometimes tumours in the frontal or temporal lobes of the forebrain can grow to quite a size with very few symptoms. In elderly people, vague symptoms of memory loss, personality changes and difficulty walking can be put down to getting older. If several symptoms like these develop over less than 6 months, it is worth checking with your doctor.