Peter_Scott
26-03-10, 10:53
Hi,
First I would like to say thank you to everyone here for your good wishes and support re my recent headache fears.
After my assessment yesterday I took the opportunity to ask a few things about brain tumours and symptoms, please remember I am not medical but this was what the experts at our hospital lead me to believe.
Although brain tumours can cause headaches, it is not the first symptom that most people have. The brain does not have pain receptors, so a tumour normally causes pain in two ways. First by an increase in inter cranial pressure, and in most cases this can be seen by a doctor or optician who can look at the back of your eyes, so easily checked, and the second way that pain is caused is by the direct impact from the tumour, i.e the pain is always in the same place.
Many people me included worry that numbness can be from a brain tumour, well how he explained it is that numbness and weakness with a brain tumour would effect a whole limb or side of the body, not just a small area, this is far more likely to be anxiety or an non serious problem. And also it is important to note that symptoms do not come and go with brain tumours, this is reassuring in its self as I have had numbness on an off for years. Lastly he said, " Well you have had similar symptoms for 10-20 years, you would have been pushing up daisies by now if it had been serious", so time is a great healer.
By no means am I 100% convinced I am OK, and I still hanker after another scan for reassurance, but I have health anxiety and no one with this condition can honestly say they are 100% reassured, but at least I can move forward a little bit knowing that I have done all I can.
Peter
First I would like to say thank you to everyone here for your good wishes and support re my recent headache fears.
After my assessment yesterday I took the opportunity to ask a few things about brain tumours and symptoms, please remember I am not medical but this was what the experts at our hospital lead me to believe.
Although brain tumours can cause headaches, it is not the first symptom that most people have. The brain does not have pain receptors, so a tumour normally causes pain in two ways. First by an increase in inter cranial pressure, and in most cases this can be seen by a doctor or optician who can look at the back of your eyes, so easily checked, and the second way that pain is caused is by the direct impact from the tumour, i.e the pain is always in the same place.
Many people me included worry that numbness can be from a brain tumour, well how he explained it is that numbness and weakness with a brain tumour would effect a whole limb or side of the body, not just a small area, this is far more likely to be anxiety or an non serious problem. And also it is important to note that symptoms do not come and go with brain tumours, this is reassuring in its self as I have had numbness on an off for years. Lastly he said, " Well you have had similar symptoms for 10-20 years, you would have been pushing up daisies by now if it had been serious", so time is a great healer.
By no means am I 100% convinced I am OK, and I still hanker after another scan for reassurance, but I have health anxiety and no one with this condition can honestly say they are 100% reassured, but at least I can move forward a little bit knowing that I have done all I can.
Peter