Having Frequent Headaches? Could be a Sign of Brain Tumour

When headaches occur frequently and worsen over time, it's natural to be concerned about potential early signs of brain tumour. While recurrent headaches, which might be one cause of everyday headaches, can indeed be a potential indicator of a brain tumour, it's crucial to understand that these brain tumour headaches exhibit distinct patterns. Moreover, understanding the reason for frequent headaches can be crucial, especially when their severity and frequency undergoes significant changes.

What are Frequent Headaches?

If someone has a headache for 15 days or more per month, and the condition continues for over 3 months, it is classified as chronic or frequent headache. Such headaches, whether mild or more severe, can significantly disrupt one’s daily life.

Chronic daily headache encompasses various headache types that occur daily, including:

• Tension Headache: This type of headache feels like a tight band encircling your head.
• Migraine Attacks: These are intense, throbbing headaches that can affect one or both sides of the head. They may be accompanied by symptoms known as an “aura.”
• Cluster Headache: Cluster headaches come and go over weeks or months, causing severe pain typically on one side of the head, often centred around or behind one eye.
• Hemicrania Continua: Hemicrania continua is a constant, daily headache on one side of the head and may resemble a migraine.
• New Daily Persistent Headache: This type involves sudden onset of daily headache pain that persists for months without relief.

Understanding Brain Tumours 

Brain tumours, or neoplasms, are abnormal masses or growths of cells within the brain. Broadly, there are two types of brain tumours:

• Benign Tumours: These are non-cancerous growths that typically develop slowly and rarely invade nearby brain tissue. While benign tumours are generally less aggressive, they can still cause issues if they pressure the surrounding brain structures.
• Malignant Tumours: These are aggressive growths of cells, which can invade and damage the surrounding brain tissue. Malignant tumours are more likely to progress into cancer and can be life-threatening.

Brain tumours are further classified based on their origin:

• Primary Tumours: These tumours originate within the brain itself. They can arise from various types of brain cells and tissues.
• Secondary Tumours (Metastatic Tumours): Secondary tumours begin elsewhere in the body and then spread to the brain. These are not considered primary brain tumours, but result from cancer that has metastasized or spread to the brain from another part of the body.
• Regardless of their type or origin, brain tumours can disrupt normal brain function and significantly impact a person's health and well-being. 

What Kind of Headache do Brain Tumours Cause?

A headache associated with a brain tumour is not an ordinary headache. It arises due to the growth's pressure on surrounding brain tissue and the subsequent disruption of normal cerebral function. The specifics can vary among individuals, but several common characteristics are often reported.

• Nature of Pain: Depending on the tumour's location and size, these headaches can be dull and persistent or sharp and throbbing. For example, a tumour near the brain's surface might cause pain that feels like a tight band around the head. At the same time, one located deeper could result in a more generalised pain.
• Morning Pronounced: As the body rests during sleep, there's reduced resorption of cerebrospinal fluid, leading to its accumulation. Consequently, individuals with brain tumours often report that their headaches are particularly intense upon waking, with a gradual decrease in severity as the day progresses.
• Activity-induced Aggravation: Any activity that increases the intracranial pressure can exacerbate the headaches. Routine actions such as bending over, lifting heavy objects, sneezing, or even coughing can cause a sudden spike in pain.
• Resistance to Over-the-counter (OTC) Medications: The headaches' resilience is another distinguishing feature. Unlike conventional headaches that often subside with OTC pain relievers, brain tumour-induced headaches tend to be more stubborn, offering little to no relief with common medications.
• Duration and Persistence: While normal headaches might last a few hours and dissipate, those stemming from brain tumours can persist for days. They can be continuous or intermittent, but are frequently reported as relentless, overshadowing other daily activities and affecting quality of life.

It's important to consult with a healthcare professional, who can determine the best headache treatment strategy for the specific symptoms and causes.

Tell-tale Signs of Brain Tumour-Related Headaches 

One of the best neurologists in India, describes the pain as dull, throbbing, or aching and similar to a tension-type headache or a migraine. Frequent headaches and dizziness might also accompany this pain. This is particularly concerning when someone is also experiencing frequent fever and headache. For example, a brain tumour headache may increase when sleeping. In addition, the pain intensifies when sneezing or coughing. As brain tumours are complex diseases, it is important to know that the intensity of a headache may be different in each person. This difference is primarily because of the location, size of the tumour, and the rate at which it is growing. 

Also Check: Cervicogenic Headache

Symptoms that Accompany a Brain Tumour Headache

While a headache can be one of the repeated headaches signs of a brain tumour, often, the accompanying symptoms provide more evident indicators of the presence of a tumour. For instance, frequent migraine causes might differ from those of a brain tumour, so understanding these differences is crucial.

• Nausea or Vomiting: Unlike the nausea caused by migraines or other illnesses, nausea linked with a brain tumour is often unexplained and not associated with other digestive symptoms. It arises mainly due to increased intracranial pressure and can be more pronounced in the mornings.
• Visual Disturbances: A tumour, especially one located near the optic nerve, can exert pressure, leading to several visual problems. This includes blurred vision, double vision, or even a shadow or loss of peripheral vision. Some people also report seeing floating spots or experiencing brief episodes of visual loss.
• Cognitive and Memory Disturbances: Brain tumours can affect brain areas responsible for thought processes, decision-making, and memory. As a result, an individual might experience difficulties in concentrating, planning, or recalling events. There could also be personality changes or mood swings without apparent triggers.
• Motor Function Disruption: Depending on the tumour's location, it may influence areas governing motor functions. This could result in symptoms like tremors, clumsiness, lack of coordination, or even weakness in one part of the body.
• Speech Difficulties: Tumours impacting the brain's speech centres can lead to various issues. This can range from slurred speech, difficulty recalling words (anomia), or more severe disruptions such as inability to comprehend language or express oneself coherently.
• Sensory Changes: Some patients with brain tumours report altered or reduced sensations. This can involve changes in touch, temperature sensitivity, or even unexplained pain. Occasionally, there might be tingling or a “pins and needles” sensation, especially in the extremities.

Any headache followed by these symptoms should be a matter of worry, and Max Healthcare recommends you get examined by a neurosurgeon in Vaishali. The doctor will conduct imaging tests, including a CT scan or an MRI, and will recommend brain tumour treatment if the tests are positive.

Questions the Doctor May Ask

Here are a few questions the doctor may ask to diagnose the condition well and take it further with the right treatment.

Are these headaches recent, or do you usually get them?

If you do not frequently get headaches, and this is a rather new condition, the doctor may suspect something serious. On the other hand, if you previously had headaches, but the severity and location have changed, followed by other symptoms as well, it may also be a cause for concern. Any change in the pattern or sudden new development of a severe headache can be due to a brain tumour. 

Also, read about the different types of headache and their treatments.

What medications do you take?

Be honest when the doctor asks about the medicines that help you calm down the pain. Open up to the doctor, whether you are taking OTC medication or those prescribed by your general physician. Based on the medicines you are taking, the doctor can better judge how your headaches react to the medications. Characteristically, any headache caused by a brain tumour will show no signs of relief by medications. When both prescribed and OTC medicines are not relieving the pain, something more serious than a migraine or a tension-type headache is present.

What makes a headache worse or better?

Your notes will help you here. If a headache gets triggered or worsens when you cough, sneeze or bend over, be sure to inform the doctor about such situations. When triggering a headache, these movements are majorly brain-tumour related and require special imaging tests like MRI or CT. These tests further identify if a brain tumour is the cause of these headaches.

Management of Brain Tumour Headaches

Managing frequent headaches and dizziness or other symptoms related to a brain tumour is crucial. Coping with these challenges and enhancing one's quality of life can be achieved through medical and supportive strategies.

Medical Management

In specific cases, surgery, like brain tumour surgery, may be a viable option, followed by brain tumour treatment involving radiation and chemotherapy.

• Medications:Various prescription drugs are available to alleviate headaches caused by brain tumours. In cases of intracranial swelling and inflammation, healthcare professionals may prescribe corticosteroids. At the same time, anticonvulsants could be recommended if seizures accompany the headaches. It is essential to adhere strictly to medical advice and consult a healthcare professional regarding any potential adjustments to your medication.
• Surgical Interventions: In specific cases, surgery may be a viable option. By removing or reducing the tumour's size, intracranial pressure can decrease, potentially relieving the associated headaches.
• Radiation and Chemotherapy: Depending on the type and location of the tumour, treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy may be beneficial. These therapies can reduce the size of the tumour, subsequently alleviating the associated symptoms.
• Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation: Following medical treatments, rehabilitation plays a vital role. Physical therapists can offer exercises to enhance balance, reduce dizziness, and improve overall physical function.

Lifestyle Adjustments

• Regular Sleep Patterns: Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule may reduce the severity of headaches.
• Balanced Diet: A well-rounded and nutritious diet can bolster overall health, potentially aiding in recovery and symptom management. Always consult a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes.
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can relieve stress and contribute to pain management.

Psychosocial Support

• Therapy: Psychological therapy, offered by psychologists or counsellors, can provide valuable strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and other emotional challenges arising from the diagnosis.
• Support Groups: Connecting with individuals who share similar experiences can provide essential emotional support, allow for exchanging coping techniques, and foster a sense of community.

If you or someone you know has been experiencing frequent headaches, it's crucial not to dismiss them as mere inconveniences. While various factors can contribute to headaches, they could also be an early warning sign of a more serious underlying condition, such as a brain tumour. It is strongly recommended to consult a specialist at Max Hospitals for a comprehensive evaluation. Timely medical attention can make all the difference in addressing potential concerns and ensuring your well-being. So, reach out to our dedicated team of experts at Max Hospitals today and let us help you find the answers and care you need.