Are frequent headaches a sign of brain tumour?

We often ask if frequent and severe headaches are a sign of brain tumour. It’s true that a recurring headache can be an indication for brain tumour but it is equally important to know that tumour-related headaches have distinct characteristics. Ten out of 1 lakh people may develop brain tumour during their lifetime, irrespective of their age. But the scary thing about the disease is that its symptoms are often disguised as everyday ailments such as headaches or migraines. Therefore, it’s important to know the hidden signs and symptoms of brain tumours so as to be aware and to get timely help.


A brain tumour headache feels like a dull, throbbing or aching pain which is similar to tension-type headache or a

migraine

. It increases with change in position, like the headache may amplify during sleep or while coughing. One should also be watching out for dizziness, loss of speech, weakness or loss of sensation in an arm or leg, pressure in the back of the head and early morning awakening headaches.

One may experience seizures, where the person loses consciousness, their body goes stiff and they fall to the floor with their limbs jerking. If a person experiences seizures, he has to be rushed to the hospital for a MRI. A headache which has above symptoms should be a matter of worry and be brought under clinical and radiological examination.

Surgery is one of the main treatment options available following the diagnosis. During surgery, they try to remove the entire
tumour or as much as it is safe to. Not all tumours can be operated on, as they may be too close to a sensitive area of the brain, e.g. that which controls breathing or sight.

During the surgery, a hole in the skull is made and this operation is called Craniotomy where the removal of brain tumour is performed under general anesthesia with the help of a Neuro Microscope. Before the surgery, the treatment plan, post-operative recovery, planning for radiation and

chemotherapy

are discussed. The prognosis depends on the

biopsy

report. After completing the treatment, a proper Neuro rehabilitation plan is provided and a follow-up is mandatory for good treatment outcomes.

Contact:

Dr Rajasekhar Reddy

K, Consultant Neuro & Spine Surgeon, Continental Hospitals, Gachibowli; Call: 040- 6700 0000