Brain Tumor?

Question

How do you know if you have a brain tumour or a blood clot on the brain? What are the symptoms? And what is a brain tumour? Is it cancer?

I don't know if I should worry but I keep gettin an ache at the bottom - back of my head and today I've been feeling quite dizzy and light headed....

Answer 1

A brain tumour can only be confirmed through a brain scan.
There are different types of tumour and brain conditions some malignant and some begnign.
Some people have symptoms some people don`t.
If you are experiencing any type of problem see your doctor who can put your mind at rest.

Answer 2

If you suspect a brain tumor you really should get to the hosptial asap.

The following symptoms immediately raise the question of a brain tumor:

A new seizure in an adult.
Gradual loss of movement or sensation in an arm or leg.
Unsteadiness or imbalance, especially if it is associated with headache.
Loss of vision in one or both eyes, especially if it is more peripheral vision loss.
An eating disorder as a child.
Double vision, especially if it is associated with headache.
Hearing loss with or without dizziness.
Speech difficulty of gradual onset.
The following symptoms are usually not the result of a brain tumor, but may sometimes be:

Headache is probably the most common symptom of a brain tumor. Most people with headache, even persistent or severe headaches, do not have a tumor. However, some kinds of headache are particularly worrisome. A steady headache that is worse in the morning than the afternoon, a persistent headache that is associated with nausea or vomiting, or a headache accompanied by double vision, weakness, or numbness all suggest a possible tumor.
A change in behavior may also be caused by a brain tumor. The development of an "I don't care" attitude, memory loss, loss of concentration, and general confusion may all be subtle signs: here, an evaluation by a neurologist may be an important step, but a CT or MRI will also help.
Infertility or amenorrhea (abnormal cessation of menstruation).
Some troubles which seem to be other diseases may in fact be a tumor: a stroke, even when it looks like one on a CT, may turn out to be the result of a tumor. Sometimes a fall can come from a seizure caused by a tumor. A pituitary tumor can present like a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a kind of stroke.
As you can see, the ways a brain tumor can show up are varied. If you are concerned, call a doctor who is familiar with these tumors. Early detection and treatment may increase survival - if symptoms persist, sometimes gentle urging for an MRI is important to assure that everything is all right.

Answer 3

DEar Me_me,

If anyone who suspected a brain tumor would go to hospital asap -what else would the doctors have time to deal with?
Symptoms of brain tumors depends on location in brain, the speed and mode of growth. What do you mean by cancer? brain tumors do not easily fit the classification for cancers. Histologically=by cell type there are about 100 different kinds. Some starting to grow from brain tissue, some from outside like meninges=brain linings.
Anything that grows -and keeps on growing inside skull will eventually kill the patient, although it does not look like cancer to the pathologist and does not send metastases=distant growths.
Most brain tumors are relatively easy to treat, some are impossible to cure. If they are non curable early diagnosis does not often help, disease length will only increase.
Epileptic seizures are most common symptoms -but only 1 out of 5 people having adult onset seizures actually have brain tumor, 4/5 do not.
Headache is usually coupled to other symptoms.
Are your neck muscles sore or tense? does stretching your neck help your symptoms?
Tension neck is far more common than brain tumors -for the population in general about 1 in 10 000 gets a brain tumor, with young people even fewer.
There are more than 100 questions about brain tumor symptoms in yahoo ansers already, so you coould look at them.
Your symptoms don't sound at all like brain tumor but you gave very limited information so it is impossible to tell.
You can safely massage your neck, do stretching excercises and wait. If you have a so called posterior fossa=back of your brain tumor (which are EXTREMElY rare) your dizziness would evolve into real balance difficulties, clumsiness, dropping things, walking against doorposts , swallowing difficulties, double vision.

all the best from mary a

Answer 4

Most of the time, if you have a blood clot, you will either pass out, go into a coma, have a stroke, or have mild reactions (if its small and depending on where it is) like blurred vision, memory loss, funny sensations, funny tastes, etc.

Brain cancer, im not too sure about, id imagine you would end up with headaches, and possibly some of the symptoms as stated above, but im not 100% sure.

Tumours are cellular abnormalities that can divide and multiply, they can be either benign or malignant (cancer), sometimes you can get a tumour of skin cells multiplying in an organ such as your uterus.... its not really cancer, but it shouldnt be there, so its called a tumour (thats just one example)

Answer 5

Brain tumor symptoms will vary depending on the location of the tumor within the brain. While headaches is the most prevalent symptom of a brain tumor, a doctor will not normally do a CT scan or MRI just because you have a headache. The scans are very expensive and most headaches are caused from something else.

Answer 6

A brain tumour is a growth of cells, however, it can either be benign (non cancerous) or cancerous. A brain tumour would probably press against a nerve and would cause uncontrolled movement, blurring of vision... a headache probably does not = a brain tumour. However, if you have taken a fall to the head and you get a persistant headache afterwards its worth checking it out

Answer 7

My mother-in-law had a non-cancerous brain tumor and her symptons were dizziness, poor coordination and a loss of balance. I'm not sure if she had more frequent headaches or not. I think symptoms vary depending on where in the brain the tumor lies. I've heard sudden problems with eyesight as another symptom. Not all tumors are cancerous. My mother-in-law had hers removed and had radiation. She's OK now and she had her tumor 15 years ago.
If you are worried about it see your doctor. It could be a variety of things and only a doctor visit will really determine what is wrong with you.

Answer 8

The only way to know if you have a brain tumor is by getting some type of scan done of your brain. The symptoms could be many things but many people even find brain tumors incidentally when other things happen to them. Not all brain tumors are cancer, some are but others are just benign tumors.

Answer 9

A tumor is not necessarily a cancer but may be one. A tumor is any abnormal growth in any body part. Sometimes they are cancerous and sometimes they are benign (non cancerous). In the brain a clot woulld produce symptoms of a stroke ...all the symptoms would be on one side of the body ...and could affect speech, symmetry, co-ordination, movement, sight, smell, sensation. A stroke happens within a relatively short period of time ...within a few hours ...less than 1 day.
A brain tumor ...would produce the same symptoms but on both sides of the body accompanied by severe headaches and would manifest itself over a longer period of time ...gradual onset.

Answer 10

My father died from a brain tumor in october. yes, it was cancer. we had some hope at first because it was a primary tumor and generally that means that it is operable. there were so many symptoms that could have been something else but generally there is some confusion, off balanced feeling. it's just a simple MRI that can diagnose this and i strongly encourage you to get one. my father died 16 days after diagnosis but if we had discovered it earlier there would have been some treatment possible. what i desperately want you to do is call your dr schedule an appt and find out what is wrong before it is to late.