Brain tumours
Overview
A brain tumour is a growth of cells in the brain that multiplies in an abnormal, uncontrollable way.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a brain tumour vary depending on the exact part of the brain affected. Common symptoms include: headachesseizures (fits)persistently feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and drowsinessmental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personalityprogressive weakness orparalysison one side of the bodyvision or speech problems Sometimes you may not have any symptoms to begin with, or they may develop very slowly over time.
Causes
The cause of most brain tumours is unknown, but there are several risk factors that may increase your chances of developing a brain tumour. Risk factors include: age – the risk of getting a brain tumour increases with age (most brain tumours happen in older adults aged 85 to 89), although some types of brain tumour are more common in childrenradiation – exposure to radiation accounts for a very small number of brain tumours; some types of brain tumours are more common in people who have hadradiotherapy, or very rarely,CT scansorX-raysof the headfamily history and genetic conditions – some genetic conditions are known to increase the risk of getting a brain tumour, including tuberous sclerosis,neurofibromatosis type 1,neurofibromatosis type 2andTurner syndrome
When to see a doctor
See a GP if you have these types of symptoms, particularly if you have a headache that feels different from the type of headache you usually get, or if headaches are getting worse. You may not have a brain tumour, but these types of symptoms should be checked. If the GP cannot identify a more likely cause of your symptoms, they may refer you to a doctor who specialises in the brain and nervous system (neurologist) for further assessment and tests, such as a brain scan.