Comment from: 65-74 Male (Caregiver)Published: November 24
My dad (73) has been diagnosed with a grade 4 brain tumor. He had his biopsy, and it is the worst form he could have. He had a small dose of radiation therapy, more for quality of life than to ease the swelling. Nothing more can be done for him, and we are still in shock as our dad had no previous symptoms. He was rarely sick. He did have stroke-like symptoms that were diagnosed when he went to the doctor, but as the symptoms got worse, his doctor referred him to the hospital. In his case, he did not suffer with any pain or headaches. So it goes to show, symptoms are not always present.
Comment from: Allyson, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: November 06
Six years before they discovered my brain tumor, I visited the doctors several times. I had a blood clot to my eye, and they didn't know why. I was 46 at the time. Then I experienced tightening across my shoulders and shortness of breath. I was getting palpitations and was put under the care of a heart doctor who found a mild swelling of the aorta. After that, I got headaches and dizzy spells. Then, finally, I had a stroke down the left side of my face. My tumor was benign. It was as big as a kiwi fruit and was called a left anterior fossa meningioma cavernous sinus. It was removed with an eight-hour operation five months ago. Now I feel great, apart from still being numb on the site of the operation and having thinning hair. I'm so pleased with the doctors for saving my life; it's fantastic.
Comment from: Survivor, 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: November 06
With my brain tumor, I had headaches for many, many years, but I thought they were because of job stress and being a single mom, etc. Eventually, they got really bad, and I could hardly see anything out of my right eye. My optometrist had a look and told me to go see a specialist immediately. I was diagnosed with a grapefruit-sized meningioma, which was removed three years ago after a 13-hour operation. I am still blind in one eye, and I experience numbness on the right side of my face. I have learned to live this way, I was told I might end up being paralyzed.
Comment from: Sue, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: September 16
I am 53 years old and have had Epilepsy since the age of 11 but the medics have been trying many different combinations of drugs to control the seizures throughout my life. It wasn't until my optician picked up on some visual field loss caused by long term use of Sabril that she recommended that I be put back in contact with a specialist again. By this time, it was possible to have an MRI scan which was previously unavailable. This picked up a tumor on my right temporal lobe area. They are keeping a regular check on it to make sure its not getting larger, but the epilepsy still occurs and I'm too frightened to have the tumor removed as its uncertain what other faculties might be interfered with.
Comment from: wyograbdna, 13-18 Male (Caregiver)Published: November 24
My grandson was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor nine years ago when he was 5. He had an operation, received radiation and chemotherapy, and has done beautifully. He is smart and athletic. He has taken growth hormones. He has had a hearing problem, and two days ago, we found out his "brain is coming out of the hole in his skull" (His father's words). He will be operated on next week.
Comment from: Louise, 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: November 24
I started having seizures, which I thought were a result of a laparoscopy I had. My doctor thought they were epilepsy, so she sent me for tests. That's when the brain tumor was found.
Comment from: Snowybrooke, 25-34 Female (Patient)Published: October 06
The symptoms I had with my brain tumor included numbness on the right side of my tongue and then a day later, numbness on the right side of my lips. Within a week, my cheek, nose, eye, and ear on the right side all went numb. I also had slurred speech.
Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on MedicineNet. The opinions expressed in the comments section are of the author and the author alone. MedicineNet does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are considered primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by disease. Headache symptoms vary with the headache type. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
Edema is the swelling of tissues as a result of excess water accumulations. Peripheral edema occurs in the feet and legs. There are two types of edema, non-pitting edema and pitting edema. Causes of pitting edema is caused by systemic diseases, most commonly involving the heart, liver, and kidneys. Local conditions that cause edema are thrombophlebitis and varicose veins. Edema is generally treated with medication.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are many causes of epilepsy. Treatment of epilepsy (seizures) depends upon the cause and type of seizures experienced.
Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain. The fluid is often under increased pressure and can compress and damage the brain. Symptoms of hydrocephalus vary with age, progression of the disease, and individual tolerance to the condition. Hydrocephalus is most often treated by surgery in which a shunt system is inserted.
Encephalopathy means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. Causes of encephalopathy are varied and numerous. The main symptom of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Other symptoms include lethargy, dementia, seizures, tremors, and coma. Treatment of encephalopathy depends on the type of encephalopathy (anoxia, diabetic, Hashimoto's, hepatic, hyper - hypotensive, infectious, metabolic, infections, uremic, or Wernicke's) are examples of types of encephalopathy.
Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
Cancers that form from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors. Brain tumors may be malignant (brain cancer) or benign. Certain risk factors, such as working in an oil refinery, as a chemist, or embalmer, increase the likelihood of developing brain cancer. Symptoms include headaches, weakness, seizures, difficulty walking, blurry vision, nausea and vomiting, and changes in speech, memory, or personality. Treatment may involve surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Hypothermia is having a body core temperature of less than 35 C or 95 F. Most causes of hypothermia are preventable. Risk factors for hypothermia include age, mental status, medical conditions, and medications. Symptoms of hypothermia generally depend upon the severity of the condition. Treatment depends upon the severity of hypothermia. If not treated early, hypothermia can lead to cardiac arrest, coma, or death.
A brain hemorrhage is a type of stroke caused when an artery bursts in the brain, causing localized bleeding in the surrounding tissue. Causes of brain hemorrhage include aneurysm, liver disease, brain tumor, head trauma, high blood pressure, and blood vessel abnormalities. Symptoms include sudden severe headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of balance, tingling, numbness, vision changes, loss of consciousness, and loss of fine motor skills. Treatment depends upon the cause, location, and size of the brain hemorrhage.
Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. Different types of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, shared psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, substance-induced psychotic disorder, paraphrenia, and psychotic disorders due to medical conditions.
Nausea and vomiting are symptoms that may be caused by many conditions. Antiemetics are drugs that treat nausea and vomiting. Though some antiemetics for motion sickness and mild nausea are available over the counter (OTC), most require a medical evaluation and prescription.
Hiccups are a sudden, involuntary contraction of the diaphragm muscle. In general hiccups are just a temporary condition. Some of the causes of hiccups include certain medications, surgery, eating or drinking too much, spicy foods, diseases or conditions that irritate the nerves controlling the diaphragm, strokes, brain tumors, liver failure, and noxious fumes.
Aphasia is a condition that is the result of damage to portions of the brain. It can be caused by stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection. There are two types of aphasia, fluent and non-fluent. Some patients may fully recover from aphasia over time, while others may not.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
People who have bladder spasms, the sensation occurs suddenly and often severely. A spasm itself is the sudden, involuntary squeezing of a muscle. A bladder spasm, or "detrusor contraction," occurs when the bladder muscle squeezes suddenly without warning, causing an urgent need to release urine. The spasm can force urine from the bladder, causing leakage. When this happens, the condition is called urge incontinence or overactive bladder.
Adult brain tumors are diseases in which cancer (malignant) cells begin to grow in the tissues of the brain. The brain controls memory and learning, senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch), and emotion. It also controls other parts of the body, including muscles, organs, and blood vessels. Tumors that start in the brain are called primary brain tumors.
Pseudotumor Cerebri (intracranial hypertension) is a condition where there is an increase in pressure of fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF) mimicing a brain tumor. The cause is unknown. The most common symptom is headache but also include eye-pain, vision loss and double vision. Pseudotumor cerebri is diagnosed with MRI or CAT scans and treated by discontinuing offending medications (if applicable), weight loss and diuretic medications. The condition can also be helped by repeated drainage of spinal fluid using the lumbar puncture.
Double vision (diplopia) is a symptom that my indicate Graves' disease, myasthenia gravis, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, diabetes, cataracts, aneurysm, brain tumor, or migraine. Symptoms and signs include eye pain, droopy eyelids, nausea, headache, and a cross-eyed appearance. Treatment of double vision depends upon the underlying cause.
Kids get headaches and migraines too. Many adults with headaches started having them as kids, in fact, 20% of adult headache sufferers say their headaches started before age 10, and 50% report their headaches started before age 20.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
Fast food consumption and lack of exercise are just a couple of causes of childhood obesity. Health effects of childhood obesity include type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, asthma, sleep apnea, gallstones, fatty liver disease, GERD, depression, and eating disorders.
Doctors often cannot explain why one person develops cancer and another
does not. But research shows that certain risk factors increase the chance
that a person will develop cancer. These are the most common risk factors
for cancer:
Growing older
Tobacco
Sunlight
Ionizing radiation
Certain chemicals and other substances
Some viruses and bacteria
Certain hormones
Family history of cancer
Alcohol
Poor diet, lack of physical activity, or being overweight
Many of these risk factors can be avoided. Others, such as family history,
cannot be avoided. People can help protect themselves by staying away from
known risk factors whenever possible.
If you think you may be at risk for cancer, you should discuss this
concern with your doctor. You may want to ask about reducing your risk and
about a sch...
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Neurology RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the
My dad (73) has been diagnosed with a grade 4 brain tumor. He had his biopsy, and it is the worst form he could have. He had a small dose of radiation therapy, more for quality of life than to ease the swelling. Nothing more can be done for him, and we are still in shock as our dad had no previous symptoms. He was rarely sick. He did have stroke-like symptoms that were diagnosed when he went to the doctor, but as the symptoms got worse, his doctor referred him to the hospital. In his case, he did not suffer with any pain or headaches. So it goes to show, symptoms are not always present.
Related Reading: tumor | radiation therapy | shock