A “ticking bomb” in the head. See what symptoms a brain tumor causes
A brain tumor is a dangerous opponent. However, it is easy to ignore it. It develops silently, often without any obvious symptoms. This process often takes months or even years. How can you tell if something bad is happening in your body? Check.
Recently, Michael Bolton announced that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and at the end of 2023 he underwent surgery to remove the lesion. His health condition forces the musician to suspend his professional activity. It is worth noting that over 2,500,000 Poles are diagnosed with a brain tumor every year. Some of the changes are mild. However, most of them are associated with the development of cancer in the body.
How to recognize a brain tumor?
In the initial phase of development, a brain tumor may cause non-specific symptoms typical of many different diseases. These include symptoms such as:
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headaches and dizziness,
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strong and recurrent feeling of drowsiness,
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difficulty concentrating,
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memory disorders,
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chronic fatigue,
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nausea and vomiting,
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seizures.
The clinical picture of the disease depends largely on the place where the pathological changes are located (occipital, temporal, parietal lobes, cerebellum, etc.). The above-mentioned signals may be accompanied by visual disturbances, sensory disturbances and paresis of various parts of the body, behavioral changes (irritability, aggression), balance or swallowing disorders. Sometimes facial asymmetry may also appear.
Brain tumor diagnosis and treatment
The basis of the diagnostic process are head imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. Thanks to them, it is possible to determine the location of the tumor and its size. Treatment of lesions usually involves surgical intervention and involves excision of pathological lesions. A biopsy of the removed tissue is also usually ordered. The examination allows us to determine what type of tumor we are dealing with (benign or malignant). If the results indicate cancer, further treatment in the form of radio- or chemotherapy is recommended.
