Brain Tumor – One of the Most Dangerous Neurological Diseases

Brain Tumor – One of the Most Dangerous Neurological Diseases

Neurological diseases affect your brain, spine, and nerves. Brain tumor is one of the most prominent neurological disorders among others like dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. A brain tumor is a mass of abnormal cells that grows in the brain. Such abnormal growth inside the restricted space of the brain can cause numerous problems. There are two types of brain tumors; benign or non-cancerous tumors and malignant or cancerous tumors.

Tumor growths can cause brain damage as they generate pressure inside the skull. Primary brain tumors develop in the brain and most of them are benign. While a secondary brain tumor does not originate in the brain, they occur when cancerous cells invade the brain from some other part of the body such as lungs or stomach. Secondary tumors are malignant in nature.

Primary Brain Tumor

Primary brain tumor can originate:

• From the brain cells
• From the membranes of meninges
• From the nerve cells
• From the glands

Secondary Brain Tumor

These brain tumor growths spread or metastasize to the brain from the:

• Lungs (lung cancer)
• Breast (breast cancer)
• Kidney (kidney cancer)
• Skin (skin cancer)

Brain Tumor Symptoms

Brain tumor signs or symptoms are dependent on the exact size and location of the tumor in the brain area. Some tumors generate pressure inside the brain while some tumors directly intrude on the brain tissue.

Symptoms of a brain tumor include:

• Severe headache while waking up
• Headaches that aggravate while coughing, sneezing or even from doing exercises
• Sudden blurred vision
• Episodes of vomiting
• Seizures
• Noticeable changes in the mental functioning of the patient

Other known symptoms such as:

• Memory loss & confusion
• Facing difficulty in reading or writing
• Becoming clumsy with reduced alertness
• Feeling changes in sensual activities like hearing, tasting or smelling
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Feeling dizzy with loss of balance
• Developing eye problems
• Loss of bowel control
• Unexplained changes in behavior and personality
• Feeling muscle-related weakness in the arms, legs or face

Brain Tumor Risk Factors

Genetic History – About 10 percent of cancers are known to be genetically inherited. However, medical cases wherein patients have been diagnosed with brain tumors due to hereditary factors are rare.

Age Factor – Like any other cancer, the risk of developing a brain tumor can increase with advancing age.

Chemical Exposure – Many people are exposed to specific chemicals found in different workplaces. There are various cancer-causing chemicals typically present in a working environment.

Radiation Exposure – You can risk exposing yourself to a certain type of ionizing radiation through extreme radiation cancer treatments. You may also fall victim to harmful radiation exposure through nuclear power plant leakages (example; incidents that happened in Fukushima, Japan in the year 2011).

Chicken Pox – As per the research done by the American Brain Tumor Association, individuals who have experienced childhood chickenpox have a lesser possibility of getting a brain tumor.

Brain Tumor Diagnosis

Brain tumor diagnosis by expert neurologists in Dubai may be done with a physical (neurological) examination and looking at the medical history of the patients. The doctor may test your eyes for any optic nerve damage. Oncologists can suggest a CT Scan (head), MRI (head), angiography, special skull X-rays, and biopsy for patients exhibiting brain tumor symptoms.

Brain Tumor Treatment

Treatment depends on four different factors, this includes the type of tumor, size of the tumor, placement of the tumor, and general health status of the patient. Malignant brain tumors can also be surgically removed without damaging other parts of the brain. Infection and bleeding are some of the risks involved in brain surgeries. Dangerous forms of benign tumors can be successfully removed through surgery. In many cases, Surgical procedures can be combined with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

FAQs

Are all brain tumors life-threatening or fatal?

GBM or Glioblastoma Multiforme is the most deadly form of primary brain tumors. It is incurable and fatal. It kills almost 95% of the cancer patients within 5 years post-diagnosis.

Can a benign brain tumor turn fatal?

While most of the primary forms of brain tumors are non-malignant, they involve great health risks and can also be life-threatening.

Can you feel a brain tumor?

You cannot feel a brain tumor in the physical sense. There are no obvious signs. Common symptoms of brain cancers are persistent headaches and nausea.