A brain tumor can originate from cells within the brain itself, or the cells can travel from other parts of the body. To diagnose a brain tumor, a doctor will use a physical examination, a neurological examination that is designed to evaluate how the brain is functioning, a blood test and an imaging test such as an MRI or a CT scan.
Identification
The effects of a brain tumor can vary depending on where the tumor is located. There are many symptoms of a brain tumor that are common to all forms of the condition because of the general pressure applied to the brain from a tumor. There are two types of brain tumors: malignant and benign. A malignant tumor is cancerous and a benign tumor is not. In many cases, the determination as to whether the tumor is benign or malignant must wait until the tumor is surgically removed.
Effects
One of the more common early symptoms of a brain tumor is a headache. The headache will usually be the strongest when the person wakes up in the morning, and in the early stages it will come and go during the course of the day. As the tumor grows the headaches will become more frequent and more painful. Another early symptom that is stronger in the morning is nausea. The person may wake in the morning feeling so nauseous that she has to vomit. As with the headaches, the nausea will become more intense as the tumor grows.
Potential
Some of the early effects of a brain tumor can be behavioral and can become apparent to others but not necessarily to the person suffering from the tumor. One of these early psychological symptoms are wide mood swings. The person could be laughing hysterically one moment and then crying a few minutes later. These mood swings become more unpredictable over time. People also tend to change their general attitude and behavior when suffering from a brain tumor. They may become anxious, angry or generally difficult to deal with. These are the sorts of symptoms that become evident to others without becoming evident to the person suffering them.
Prevention/Solution
Treating a brain tumor is a delicate procedure. The most common treatment is the surgical removal of the tumor. In some cases, this may not be possible because the location of the tumor would make surgery too difficult. In these cases chemotherapy medication or radiation therapy may be used. It is possible that the location of the tumor makes it terminal to the patient because it cannot be moved but yet it continues to grow.
Considerations
A tumor that grows in the brain will cause pressure on the brain. The brain is protected by the skull, and any additional material that tries to grow between the brain and the skull will put pressure on the brain. In some cases, it is the tumor itself that puts pressure on the brain, in other cases the tumor causes fluid to build up between the brain and the skull. The fluid build-up can be a critical situation that would require emergency surgery as there is fluid constantly flowing around the brain and the brain can only sustain so much pressure before the situation becomes fatal.
Tags: brain tumor, become more, pressure brain, benign malignant, between brain, between brain skull, brain brain