Brain Tumor: Causes, Types, and Symptoms
A brain tumour is a type of condition in which abnormal cell growth occurs at one particular place. Brain tumours can be both cancerous or non-cancerous. But both cases may cause brain damage over time if not treated properly.
Types Of Brain Tumours
Brain tumours are of two types and they are:
- Primary- These tumours originate in the brain and can be either benign or malignant. The tumors may develop in the brain cells, nerve cells or the membranes surrounding your brain are called the primary brain tumour. You can learn more about brain tumour after consulting a doctor.
- Secondary- On the other hand, secondary brain tumour does not originate in the brain. A secondary or metastatic brain tumor occurs when the cancer cells from other organs spread to your brain. These are always malignant. Some of the cancers that may spread to your brain and from brain tumour are lung cancer, breast cancer and skin cancer.
What Are The Risk Factors Of Brain Tumour?
While causes are not clear of brain tumour, some risk factors increase the chances of getting a brain tumor. These are:
Family History
It is very rare to inherit a brain tumour from heredity. But in case you have a family history of brain tumours, you should talk to your doctor. Make sure you consult with a brain tumour specialist to diagnose your symptoms and recommend suitable treatment.
Your Age
The risk of developing a brain tumour is more with age. But some brain tumour may occur in all age groups.
Chemical Exposure
If you work in a chemical company where the work environment is always under chemical exposure, you may be at risk of developing different health disorders and brain tumour is one of them. So always keep a list of things in your workplace that have harmful chemical exposure.
Radiation
If you have been exposed to ionizing radiation, it may increase the risk of brain tumour development. Radiation could be from other cancer treatments or any hazardous incident.
Symptoms Of Brain Tumour
The symptoms of brain tumour are not always the same. It depends on the size and type of tumour one has. You may not get any clear symptoms of a brain tumour. Symptoms start to show once the tumour develops and spreads.
Some of the common brain tumour symptoms are:
- Pain in the head or headaches in the morning, while sleeping or while coughing or sneezing.
- Vomiting is another sign of a brain tumour. But you may also vomit due to other reasons.
- Double or blurred vision may occur due to a brain tumour.
- Seizures are common in adults.
The doctor may recommend brain surgery to remove the tumour from the brain. But not all tumours can be removed, so the treatment depends on the location of the tumour and its type.
Apart from these, the general health of the patient also matters when treating a brain tumour. So consult with a doctor and get yourself checked thoroughly in case you are in doubt about your brain health.