Headache Symptoms: Potential Signs of Brain Tumors & When to See a Doctor

When new headache symptoms develop, it's worrisome. Patients don't know if they have cause for concern, if they should talk to their doctor or if they should just take a painkiller and wait until the pain goes away. Any neurological change can be significant. No matter the symptoms, the patient should raise concerns to his doctor in order to receive a confirmed diagnosis or rule out a potentially deadly condition.

Changing Patterns

• Patients should take note of any differences in the patterns of their headaches and discuss these changes with their doctors (see Resources below).

Identification

• Headaches that happen along with general confusion, lethargy, weakness, nausea and vomiting can be an indication of a mass in the brain. The location of a potential tumor can cause different symptoms (see Resources below).

Seizures

• Headaches may be accompanied by seizures.

Treatment

• Patients who receive a diagnosis of a brain tumor will find their lives completely changed. They will undergo surgery, if possible, to remove the mass; radiation and chemotherapy can follow if the mass is found to be cancerous.

Warning

• If the patient experiences sudden symptoms such as a fixed gaze, blindness, pupil dilation or a paralysis on one or both sides of the body, this is an emergency situation.