Once you are diagnosed with a brain tumor, you must wonder how you would have known. More importantly, psychological factors can influence how much emphasis we attribute to our symptoms. Most people experience some of the symptoms listed below. Symptoms depend on tumor location and degree of brain irritation.
From our Brain Tumor page, you will see the symptoms of having a tumor:
- Headache – Headaches can occur due to increased pressure
- Seizures – Can occur from a brain irritation
- A Change in Personality – Mainly occurs from frontal lobe lesions
- Memory Loss – Can be from frontal and temporal lobe
- Balance Issues – From the cerebellum, parietal, and frontal movement areas
- Fatigue & Weakness
- Difficulty Speaking or Comprehending – your language areas
- Difficulty Walking – your movement areas
An expert in Health Psychology from the United Kingdom (UK) recently reviewed how beliefs and psychology could influence when we seek medical attention from a physician whenever we experience any of the symptoms above. The main thing from Dr. Suzanne Scott, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology at King’s College London:
We have previously highlighted that people may experience multiple subtle changes before being diagnosed with a brain tumour. For instance, changes in sleep, memory, speaking, concentration, and balance, sensations, and senses or feeling ‘not me’.
In this new study we found that patients often didn’t consider seeking help for many of the changes as they were mild, infrequent, intermittent, and didn’t interfere with what they needed to do. We often believe that symptoms need to be severe, constant and interfering to mean they are something serious and worth going to the doctor for. To encourage more timely diagnosis of brain tumour this belief may need to be addressed.
(Click for details)
The idea is that when you get one of those “odd” feelings, it is worthwhile documenting and mentioning to your physician. Early diagnosis of brain tumors is very important since treatment can be initiated sooner. Do not forget – if you do not feel right, go to your physician.