What are the signs of a brain tumor?

Have you been having headaches that won’t go away, confusion or changes in your senses? You may wonder if these are signs of a brain tumor.

Brain tumors can cause many unusual issues depending on which parts of the brain they affect. But it can be hard to tell the difference between signs of a brain tumor and symptoms of other issues.

Conditions like epilepsy, stroke or Parkinson’s disease can cause similar symptoms to brain tumors. And headaches are much more likely to be caused by something other than a brain tumor.

So how do you know if a brain tumor is causing your symptoms? The only way to be sure is to see a neurologist who can run tests and scans to diagnose you.

Sean Grimm, MD, is a neuro-oncologist—a brain cancer specialist—at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about brain tumor symptoms.

What are common signs and symptoms of a brain tumor?

There are many different types of brain tumors. The signs and symptoms they cause can vary depending on their location in the brain, how big they are and how fast they grow.

Some brain tumors are benign or grow slowly and don’t spread. They might not cause symptoms at all, especially in early stages when they are small.

“They’re often found through scans for different issues, like migraines or other types of headaches not related to brain tumors,” Grimm says.

Other brain tumors are cancerous and grow quickly. They can cause big problems. And even tumors that grow slowly can lead to symptoms if they start to put pressure on other brain structures or tissues.

You should talk to a neurologist if you see the following concerning signs.

Early signs and symptoms of a brain tumor

Frequent headaches are among the most common early signs of a brain tumor. They differ in a few ways from the usual headaches you might get.

First, brain tumor headaches tend to be more severe and may not go away with over-the-counter medicines.

“These aggressive headaches are often so bad that they will wake you up in the morning,” Grimm says. “They may be intractable, meaning they don’t go away for several days or a week. Also, they’re usually worse on awakening in the morning.”

Over time, the headaches may become more frequent.

Grimm says that seizures may be another early sign of a brain tumor.

Seizures don’t always cause convulsions as some might think. They can appear in many forms, such as numbness or tingling in the arms or legs, trouble speaking, becoming unresponsive or even sensory changes, like smelling odors that aren’t really there.

Brain tumors can also cause other neurological symptoms in early stages, like changes in mood or behavior, confusion or nausea and vomiting.

Signs and symptoms of an advanced brain tumor

As a brain tumor gets to later stages, it may cause new or worsening symptoms.

Intractable headaches can become more frequent and more difficult to manage. They may get worse when lying down, bending over or going to the bathroom.

“Other signs can be weakness on one side of the body, trouble walking, confusion or trouble with language function,” Grimm says.

Later-stage brain tumors can also cause changes to the senses, including the following:

Blurred or double vision
Poor peripheral vision
Trouble hearing
Trouble smelling or smelling odors that aren’t there
Changes in the way you feel heat or cold
Changes in the way you feel light touch, pressure or sharp objects

More FAQs about brain tumor signs and symptoms

Q: Is blepharospasm, or eye twitching, a sign of a brain tumor?

“No, eye twitching, is not often a sign of a brain tumor,” Grimm says. “Eye twitching is usually myokymia, which is a benign symptom.”

Myokymia is an involuntary eye twitching that causes the muscles of the eyelids to spasm in waves. It’s most likely to come from tiredness, stress, nicotine use, consuming too much caffeine or dry eyes.

Rarely, eye twitching can be a sign of a more serious condition. If yours doesn’t go away on its own for several weeks or months, you may want to make an appointment with your eye care specialist. They can offer treatment or refer you for further testing if needed.

Q: Is smelling smoke a sign of a brain tumor?

Smelling odors that aren’t really there, including smoke, is called “phantosmia,” or olfactory hallucination.

“Olfactory hallucination could be a sign of a temporal lobe tumor,” Grimm says. “It could manifest as part of a seizure.”

Smelling smoke can also be a sign of other serious conditions, like stroke or Parkinson’s disease.

That said, phantosmia is more commonly a sign of issues that affect the nose or sinuses, like nasal polyps, allergies or a cold.

Q: Are nosebleeds a sign of a brain tumor?

“A nosebleed is usually not a sign of a brain tumor,” Grimm says. “A more common cause of nosebleeds is exposure to dry air, like in winter when the weather is very dry.”

In some rare cases, nosebleeds can be a sign of tumors that affect the sinuses or the nose. These tumors may eventually grow and affect brain structures or tissues. But they generally do not start within the brain.

Q: Are eye floaters a sign of a brain tumor?

“Eye floaters are typically not a sign of a brain tumor,” Grimm says. “The only very rare exception is ocular lymphoma—lymphoma in the eyes.”

Eye floaters are more likely to come from aging, inflammation, eye injuries or eye surgeries and medications.

Brain tumors can cause changes in vision, especially if they affect the occipital lobe. But these changes often include visual hallucinations caused by focal seizures. They may appear as colors or patterns that aren’t there.

These vision changes can result in not seeing objects on one side of the body. For example, some patients report bumping into objects on one side because they did not realize anything was there.

In some cases, patients have even been involved in car accidents because they couldn’t tell that another car or obstruction was in front of one side of their vehicle.

Q: Is tinnitus a sign of a brain tumor?

“Tinnitus, or ringing in one or both ears, is not a typical sign of brain tumors,” Grimm says.

Ringing in the ears can sometimes be a sign of an acoustic neuroma, which is most often benign. It’s a tumor that grows slowly on one of the nerves that connects the brain to the inner ear.

But tinnitus is more often a sign of other issues that affect the ears, like ear infections, noise exposure or age-related hearing loss.

What should you do if you have brain tumor signs or symptoms?

The signs of brain tumors can vary, and other conditions can cause similar symptoms. That’s why it’s important to see a neurologist for testing when they appear.

“When patients come to see a neuro-oncologist for a consultation, they’ll undergo a neurologic physical exam,” Grimm says. “Then, they’ll most commonly be referred for an MRI of the brain.”

Your specialist will rely on imaging and possibly other testing to find out what type of tumor you have, where it is in the brain and how fast it’s growing. They’ll also give the tumor a grade depending on how aggressive it is. It can be benign, low-grade or high-grade.

Then they’ll work with you on a care plan. There is a wide range of treatments for brain tumors. Some small, slow-growing tumors just need monitoring to make sure they don’t cause problems. Others need radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery or a combination of treatments.