Not all headaches are brain tumors

 Not all headaches are brain tumors

Many people think they have a brain tumor when they get a headache, but only 2 to 3 percent of cases are confirmed by testing.

Brain tumors can be caused by genetics, radiation, diet, injury, and infection, and the main symptoms include headache and vomiting.

The development of technology and skilled manpower in Nepal has made it easier to identify and treat brain tumors, and public awareness is needed on the occasion of World Tumor Day.

Many people think they have a brain tumor when they get a headache. However, a headache does not mean that a brain tumor will develop immediately. If we test 100 people with headaches, only 2 to 3 people are likely to have a brain tumor. Along with a brain tumor, other symptoms related to it also appear.

Tumors and cancer are different things. We can classify all brain tumors into 4 stages. We call stages 3 and 4 cancer, because they require treatment methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. When the cells in the body grow abnormally, they form lumps and are called cancer.

Just as the exact cause of cancer in other parts of the body has not yet been discovered, the cause of brain cancer has not been discovered.

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However, the first reason is hereditary. Similarly, another reason is radiation. Such radiation is emitted from some industries, while X-rays or CT scans and people who spend a lot of time in the sun are also at risk of developing cancer due to radiation. The third reason is food and drink. People who drink a lot of alcohol, those who have had head injuries, and infections also increase the risk of brain tumors.

Symptoms

The main symptom of a brain tumor is a headache. This is accompanied by vomiting. The headache and pain level increase. For many, the headache heals within a few hours. If it hurts a lot and becomes a migraine, it can last for three to four days. And then it will be fine.

However, if there is a brain tumor, the pain increases and other symptoms are added along with the pain. For example, nausea, vomiting, symptoms like epilepsy, paralysis, decreased vision or hearing in the eyes, inability to swallow saliva, which are associated with the headache.

In what situations should you consult a doctor?

If the headache has affected your daily work, the headache and vomiting are increasing as soon as you wake up in the morning, or if you have symptoms like decreased vision and hearing, difficulty walking along with the headache, you should go to the doctor.

If you have such symptoms, early testing can detect the disease and make treatment easier.

However, in Nepal, there is no testing protocol with either the government or private hospitals. In Japan, brain and nerve tests are mandatory for people over 40 years of age. Therefore, neurological diseases are detected earlier in Japan than in the US. However, this is not the case in Nepal. Therefore, if you have similar symptoms, I suggest you take interest and get tested.

Treatment method The treatment process is determined by the stage of the tumor, its location, and the age of the patient. However, the appropriate treatment method for a tumor is to cut it out from the root.

However, this also has its limitations. The brain is so sensitive that if even a slight shock to other parts occurs, there is a risk of paralysis. In some tumors, radiotherapy and chemotherapy methods are used in cases where surgery is not possible.

However, not every brain tumor requires treatment. We call the patient once every 6 months, a year, and do an MRI to check whether the tumor has grown or not. If the tumor has not grown, we do nothing. If it has grown, we proceed accordingly. We do nothing about tumors that do not grow even a millimeter in a year.

What can be done to prevent brain tumors?

No way to prevent brain tumors has been discovered yet. However, there are some things that can be avoided if the risk is reduced.

Radiation is the main cause of brain tumors. Most patients request a CT scan as soon as they have a problem in any part of the body. However, unless it is necessary and the doctor says to do it, they should not undergo radiation tests on their own. Similarly, brain tumors can be prevented to a large extent if they are protected from radiation from industries, infections, and head injuries.

Treatment status of brain tumors in Nepal

In recent decades, advanced technologies such as CT scans and MRIs to detect brain tumors and skilled manpower have been increasing, and such facilities are continuing to be added to big cities other than Kathmandu. Therefore, the rate of disease detection is also increasing. Talking about technology, Nepal has 99.9 percent of the technology available internationally.

Today is World Tumor Day. On this occasion, it is necessary to spread public awareness about this disease. Due to the development of technology, the situation after a brain tumor is no longer as dire as it was before. In the next one or two decades, the situation will be such that neurosurgery will also be possible without surgery.