Brain Tumors

What are the symptoms of brain tumors?

Because brain tumors are confined within your skull, they aren’t visible. However, they do often produce noticeable symptoms. These symptoms can develop gradually or come on suddenly. Some of the most common brain tumor symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Sleep problems because of the headaches
• Trouble thinking or speaking
• Mood changes
• Seizures
• Hearing problems
• Confusion/disorientation
• Vision problems
• Numbness and tingling in the face
• Nausea
• Dizziness

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, seek care at Birmingham Neurosurgery & Spine Group. Their doctors determine if a brain tumor is present and, if so, what type. 

What are the different types of brain tumors?

There are over 150 different types of brain tumors. The medical community breaks brain tumors into two main categories:

Primary brain tumors

These tumors originate in your brain, from your glial cells or other structures in your brain, such as glands. Primary brain tumors can be malignant, meaning they pose a threat to your health, or benign, meaning they’re noncancerous. 

Metastatic brain tumors

These tumors originate somewhere else in your body, then travel to your brain. They usually make this journey through your bloodstream. All metastatic brain tumors are considered cancerous. 

How are brain tumors diagnosed?

At Birmingham Neurosurgery & Spine Group, your doctor performs a physical exam and additional testing to diagnose your brain tumor. Further testing may include:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 
• A computed tomography (CT) scan
• A biopsy

Once they’ve diagnosed your tumor, they start personalizing a treatment plan for you. 

How are brain tumors treated?

Benign, slow-growing tumors may not need any treatment at all. In fact, in many of these cases, the Birmingham Neurosurgery & Spine Group team recommends simply monitoring the tumor. This ensures that it doesn’t change size or position, posing a threat to your brain. At the same time, it prevents you from undergoing unnecessary treatment. 

If your tumor is malignant, they choose the right treatment to best address it. That might mean surgery to remove the tumor or chemotherapy or traditional radiation therapy to reduce the tumor’s size. 

Alternately, they can offer leading-edge, nonsurgical targeted radiation therapy. Benjamin Fulmer, MD, is certified in Gamma Knife® and CyberKnife® treatments. During these procedures, he uses a specialized tool to direct focused radiation beams into your tumor, shrinking, and potentially eliminating it. 

To learn more about your brain tumor diagnosis and treatment options, call Birmingham Neurosurgery & Spine Group to make an appointment today.