Brain tumor is the formation of a tumor in the head that can damage the nerves in the brain or the central nervous system. This is considered to be one of the most dangerous and agonizing ailments irrespective of the size of the tumor. One of the main symptoms of this disease is brain tumor headache which tends to vary in frequency and the intensity of pain depending upon the stage of development of the tumor and its location.

Symptoms of brain tumor headache:

Headache caused by brain tumor occurs in the early hours of morning in the form of a dull, monotonous pain that fades away on its own. It is a non-migraine headache that can occur even when the individual is asleep and can be accompanied by vomiting or nausea. The tedious aching quality of the pain can cause fatigue, throbbing in the head (where the tumor is located), confusion and numbness. The patient can also experience various other symptoms such as seizures, metastatic brain lesions, double vision and neck pain. This type of headache usually worsens if the patient suddenly changes his/her position or indulges in exercise or any other physical activity. Headache associated with brain tumor can also be unbearable, sudden and does not respond to general pain killers. In a number of cases, patients show the initial symptoms of the development of a tumor only because of brain tumor headache.

Brain tumors and headache:

As per research almost 18,000 people die every year in the United States because of this horrifying disorder. The correlation between brain tumors and headache is prevalent in supratentorial tumors and infratentorial tumors. In medical terms it can be said that cerebral edema leads to the development and progression of headache.

Diagnosis and treatment:

In some patients, particularly in the case of children it is very difficult to diagnose a brain tumor. Some of the symptoms of the disorder in children are recurrent headaches during sleep, severe headache on waking up in the morning and no family history of a migraine or seizures.

In order to get the correct diagnosis of your headache, it is essential for you to visit a doctor and undergo various tests that are prescribed if a tumor is suspected. Sometimes it can take months to diagnose the presence of a tumor. Some of the symptoms that occur along with the headache that indicate the presence of a tumor are seizures, loss of memory, inability to concentrate, paralysis on either side of the body, loss of vision, unsteadiness, pupil dilation etc. Treatment for this ailment involves chemotherapy or surgery.