Brain Tumour: Early Warning Signs You Can Spot at Home

Dr. Pradeep Balaji

Neurosurgery · Iswarya Hospital

Brain tumours can be challenging to detect early, but certain symptoms — especially new headaches, vision changes, and personality shifts — should never be ignored.

A brain tumour is an abnormal growth of cells in the brain. Early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes. Knowing the warning signs can prompt you to seek medical attention before the tumour grows larger.

Early Warning Signs of a Brain Tumour

1. Headaches

The most common symptom. Brain tumour headaches are typically:

Worse in the morning or when lying flat

Associated with nausea or vomiting

Progressive — gradually worsening over weeks

Unresponsive to usual pain relief

New onset in someone with no previous headache history

2. Seizures (Fits)

New-onset seizures in an adult with no prior history are a red flag, especially:

Partial seizures affecting one limb or one side of the face

Staring spells or brief episodes of confusion

Jerking movements of arms or legs

3. Vision Changes

Double vision (diplopia)

Blurred vision

Loss of vision in one eye or one side of the visual field

Seeing floating spots or flashes

4. Cognitive and Personality Changes

Memory problems — forgetting familiar words, names, or recent events

Difficulty concentrating

Mood swings, irritability, or uncharacteristic behaviour

Confusion or disorientation

5. Speech and Language Difficulty

Slurred speech

Difficulty finding words or understanding others

Sudden inability to read or write

6. Motor and Balance Problems

Weakness or numbness in one arm or leg

Difficulty walking or co-ordinating movements

Clumsiness or frequent falls

7. Hearing Problems

Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

Hearing loss in one ear (acoustic neuroma)

Important: Not All Symptoms Mean Tumour

Many of these symptoms have non-tumour causes — migraine, anxiety, hypertension, or infections. However, if any of these are new, progressive, or unexplained, please seek medical evaluation promptly.

When to Go to Emergency

Sudden severe headache ("thunderclap" — worst headache of life)

New seizure

Sudden weakness on one side of the body

Rapid vision loss

Sudden confusion or loss of consciousness

Iswarya Hospital's Neurology and Neurosurgery departments offer MRI scanning, neuro-oncology consultation, and comprehensive brain tumour management.

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#brain tumour#neurology#early signs#headache#seizure#neurosurgery

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