Brain Tumor Symptoms
Brain tumor symptoms can be very different from person to person. They depend on where the tumor is in the brain, how fast it is growing, and how much pressure it causes inside the skull. Brain tumors can:
- Invade and destroy brain tissue
- Put pressure on nearby tissue
- Take up space and increase pressure within the skull (intracranial pressure)
- Cause fluids to accumulate in the brain
- Block normal circulation of cerebrospinal fluid through the spaces within the brain
Early signs and symptoms
Some of the first signs of a brain tumor may include:
- Headaches. A headache due to a brain tumor usually becomes more frequent as time passes. It may not get better with over-the-counter pain medicine.
- Nausea or vomiting, especially with headaches.
- Changes in mood or behavior. You may become withdrawn, moody or inefficient at work. You may feel drowsy, confused and unable to think. Depression or anxiety, especially if either develops suddenly, may be an early symptom of a brain tumor. You may become uninhibited or behave in ways you never have before.
- Problems thinking clearly, remembering things or focusing.
- Trouble speaking or finding the right words.
- Seizures. Seizures can take many different forms, such as numbness, tingling, uncontrollable arm and leg movements, difficulty speaking, strange smells or sensations, staring and unresponsive episodes or convulsions.
Late signs and symptoms
As a brain tumor grows, more serious symptoms can develop:
- Worsening headaches, especially when you lie down, bend over or bear down, such as when you have a bowel movement.
- Changes in vision, such as double or blurry vision. You may develop peripheral vision loss that causes you to not see things on the “blind side.”
- Hearing or smelling problems
- Loss of balance or trouble walking
- Weakness or numbness in parts of the body
- Loss of coordination or control over movements
- Change in the ability to feel heat, cold, pressure, a light touch or sharp objects
Conditions with similar symptoms
These symptoms may not mean you have brain cancer. Other conditions that share some of these symptoms include:
- Migraines or chronic headaches
- Seizure disorders like epilepsy
- Stroke
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety
- Infections, including meningitis or encephalitis
- Neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s
Because many of these symptoms can be caused by different conditions, only imaging tests (like an MRI or CT scan) can confirm whether a tumor is present. Other tests can be performed such as an EEG (for seizures) and a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to rule out conditions like multiple sclerosis and infection (e.g., meningitis).
What does a brain tumor feel like?
A brain tumor doesn’t cause pain directly, but it can lead to a variety of symptoms as it presses on nerves or disrupts brain tissue. Common signs include persistent headaches (often worse in the morning), nausea, vomiting, seizures, weakness or numbness in parts of the body and difficulty with balance or coordination. Fatigue and confusion are also possible. Symptoms vary depending on the tumor’s size and location, and while these issues can have other causes, any new, worsening or unexplained neurological symptoms should be evaluated by a health care provider.
Risk factors
Anyone can get a brain tumor, but certain factors may increase your risk:
- Family history of brain tumors or genetic conditions like neurofibromatosis
- Exposure to radiation, especially to the head
- Weakened immune system, due to illness or medications
- Age (Certain tumors present in both older and younger age groups)
- History of cancer that can spread to the brain
When to see a doctor
If you notice any unusual changes in how you feel, think, see, hear, speak, move or understand things, it’s important to pay attention—especially if symptoms occur suddenly or get worse over time. Discuss any symptoms with your doctor, since they may signal other health problems.
See a doctor if you:
- Have headaches that get worse or don’t go away
- Experience new or unusual seizures
- Notice changes in your vision, speech, balance or personality
- Feel very confused, drowsy or forgetful
- Have symptoms that don’t improve or that keep coming back
Early diagnosis can lead to better treatment options and may help prevent complications.
Learn more about brain tumor diagnosis and grading.
3 common brain tumor symptoms
Headaches, seizures and weakness throughout the body can all be potential brain tumor symptoms. Because these symptoms can also be signs of other conditions, how do you know the difference between a common headache and something more serious?
We met with neurosurgeon Jeffrey Weinberg, M.D., and neuro-oncologist Shiao-Pei Weathers, M.D., to learn about brain tumor symptoms. But first, let’s start with the basics.
What is a brain tumor?
A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the brain that might be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). When people think about brain tumors, they most likely think it’s anything that occurs inside the head.
The way brain tumors are categorized depends on where they are in the skull. “Tumors are typically named by the cells that they derive from,” Weinberg says. “For example, astrocytoma is a type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord. It begins in cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells.”
What are common brain tumor signs and symptoms?
There are a few common brain tumor symptoms. These include:
Headaches
Red flags include headaches that:
- won't go away after you try over-the-counter pain medication
- make you vomit
- wake you up in the middle of the night
- are worse when you lie flat
“If you have a headache and notice other neurologic symptoms, such as weakness or feeling uncoordinated, these are all warning signs that something may be going on that warrants medical attention,” Weathers says. “It might not mean that it’s a brain tumor, but it’s a sign that you should see a doctor urgently.
Seizures
A seizure can be related to many different types of diagnoses. For a brain tumor, a seizure might occur because the tumor is irritating that part of the brain. Seizures also vary in how they present. “A seizure doesn’t have to be a big event where someone loses consciousness and shakes all over,” Weathers says. “It can be more subtle than that.” A seizure might target a certain part of the body and cause tingling in the arm or leg, confusion, or trouble speaking.
Changes related to motor function of the brain
Depending on the location of the brain tumor, it might affect the motor function of the brain. Some people might experience weakness of the face, arms or legs. If a tumor involves a sensory area, a patient may experience numbness.
“The person could also have difficulty speaking, understanding or both,” Weathers says. “And very rarely, if a tumor involves the back part of the brain near the brainstem, they can present with incoordination. This includes difficulty with balance, either with walking or using the arms and legs.”
“If there’s pressure on the cranial nerves, you’re going to have dysfunction from what that nerve does,” Weinberg says. “An acoustic neuroma might present itself through ringing in the ear or weakness of the face. You can have pressure on the nerve that controls the tongue, so your tongue might not stick out straight. Pituitary tumors might cause blind spots. You can have an eye movement disability, and sometimes patients won’t be able to look straight up.”
Are symptoms different for malignant versus benign brain tumors?
Unfortunately, there is no specific symptom that confirms whether someone has a brain tumor, whether it be malignant or benign.
Sometimes, low-grade tumors, such as oligodendrogliomas, have a higher tendency to present with a seizure versus a high-grade tumor such as a glioblastoma, says Weathers. If a tumor is growing rapidly, the patient may experience new headaches that cause nausea and vomiting.
- Related: Glioblastoma symptoms
When should I contact you’re my doctor if I start to notice brain tumor symptoms?
Reach out to your primary care doctor when a symptom is new and different.
“All of these symptoms might be caused by something different, but if symptoms like a headache continue to become more painful or severe over the course of a few weeks, it deserves to be looked at,” Weinberg says.
How will my doctor determine if I have a brain tumor?
Your primary care doctor will most likely evaluate you in person to look for anything abnormal. This evaluation might include imaging tests, such as a CT scan or MRI. If there’s an urgent need for care, such as extreme headaches or a seizure, you may need to go to an emergency room for evaluation.
Brain tumor symptoms can overlap with symptoms related to other medical conditions. Experiencing any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have a brain tumor, but it’s important to see a doctor to determine
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