Growth of cancerous cells in the brain, or brain cancer, presents with some early signs, which you may ignore due to the generality of symptoms. Ignoring these would mean that you give it a chance to grow within the brain and then your body.
A small benign mass of tumor originating from the brain or outside can lead to the growth of highly metastasising brain cancer, which will have serious symptoms affecting your quality of life.
Although the chance of developing a malignant tumor in the brain is as less as 1%, you cannot just ignore this possibility because if ensued, the survival rate is as low as 33.2%. So, let’s begin with these warning signs.
A recurrent headache along with nausea or vomiting
Headache is the one of the earliest and the most obvious sign of brain cancer. New headaches in case you never got them before are a definite warning sign for brain cancer.
On the other hand, if you commonly experience headaches, it may be difficult for you to differentiate. But, headache due to an underlying cause being brain cancer will quite inadvertently be more severe than your usual aches.
Another peculiar symptom is that you will experience them more during the morning hours. While this symptom, shares its diagnosis with migraines, the latter are episodic and resolvable and are not experienced as often as those due to a brain cancer.
Headache experienced due to brain cancer will be usually generalised but it may sometimes be localised around the area of the tumor or around the parts under pressure due to the lesion.
Often, the intensity of headaches will be so excruciating that you will feel nauseated and may even puke several times. So, a recurrent feeling of nausea and uneasiness is another warning sign you must not ignore.
Prolonged fatigue
While being tired after a long day of work is fairly normal, if you experience a generalised fatigue throughout the day, there is a chance that it is due to a severe underlying cause. This will most likely be accompanied by lethargy and drowsiness throughout the day when due to a brain cancer.
Reduced work performance and poor memory and judgments
If you are trying hard to make both the ends meet and still tend to forget important things, meetings and dates or you take longer than usual in accomplishing work related tasks or you just are unable to work due to fatigue or drowsiness through the entire day, it is a warning sign that something is not right. If you experience these, you must immediately see a doctor and discuss all your symptoms in detail to rule out brain cancer.
Muscle weakness
Do you experience more muscular pains than normal or are the tasks you previously used to perform with ease becoming somewhat painful? Did you just drop a cup or a pen? There is a chance that your muscles may be affected, which could be due to a brain cancer.
Twitches, spasms and seizures
An occasional twitch experienced in any of the fingers is not harmful and may just be a manifestation of stress. Seizures, however, are a lot different.
Seizures refer to the involuntary muscle spasms or twitches experienced by an individual and often present with other symptoms.
Seizures often form the first sign of brain cancer and are a matter of serious concern, especially if you do not have a history of epilepsy or other seizure-causing disorders.
The severity and type of seizure experienced will depend on the part of the brain involved and spasms may be single or multiple and have other accompanying symptoms like headache, loss of consciousness and mental confusion.
It is important to seek necessary medical attention to manage seizure, while at the same time it is important to discuss all associated symptoms in detail with your doctor. This will help in determining the parts of brain involved and whether or not it is associated with cancer.
Blurred vision
Ocular manifestations are very common in case of brain cancer. Blurred vision, double vision or dark spots you see could be a warning sign of brain cancer. Hence, while you sit in front of that screen adjusting your glasses trying to read more closely, don’t forget to see a doctor if this problem persists.
Loss of balance
So, you fell down and hurt your knee thrice this month? Don’t you think there is more to blame than your clumsiness? Well, growth cancerous tissue increases intracranial pressure within the skull causing an effect on different centers of the brain resulting in loss of balance and coordination, which could also be responsible for those falls.
Reduced social outcomes and lack of initiation
This is the symptom, which is most commonly neglected, but is a major warning sign of brain cancer. A diminished desire in daily activities and lack of initiation are some of the most common symptoms of brain cancer.
These can be attributed to a constant state of fatigue and drowsiness bestowed upon by the cancerous lesion. Visual disturbances, poor judgments, language, speech and coordination problems may further worsen this concern and lead to social decline.
This is major warning sign that something is wrong with the brain and you must visit your doctor without further ado.
