For Denise Wingfield, it was difficult to believe that the funny whirring sound in her ear, that affected her sleep pattern, was actually a brain tumor growing inside her. The 55 year old woman was first diagnosed as having tinnitus, a health complication where you hear ringing noises in the head; she was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist, Mirror reported.
"But following an MRI, doctors found an anomaly on her brain. A month later Denise underwent a nine hour awake craniotomy - and was diagnosed with grade 2 oligodendroglioma - a rare brain tumour," the media reported.
"I had no symptoms other than a funny noise in my ear," she told the media. She underwent six weeks of radiotherapy, followed by four rounds of chemotherapy and is still being monitored.
A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the brain. It can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). These tumors can originate from brain tissue (primary) or spread from other parts of the body (secondary). Symptoms vary depending on the tumor's location, size, and type, including headaches, seizures, cognitive changes, and motor dysfunction.
Signs of brain tumor
Early signs of a brain tumor can vary depending on its location and size. Common symptoms include persistent headaches, unexplained nausea or vomiting, seizures, changes in vision, such as blurred or double vision, difficulty speaking or understanding language, weakness or numbness in the limbs, and personality or behavior changes. Other warning signs may include difficulty with balance or coordination, memory problems, and hearing loss.
Some of the symptoms might be too subtle to notice or may overlap with other symptoms, because of which the disease reaches an advanced stage.
Diagnosis involves imaging tests like MRI or CT scans, followed by biopsy for confirmation. Treatment options depend on the tumor's characteristics and may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these.
The causes of brain tumors are often unclear, but factors such as genetic mutations, exposure to radiation, and certain inherited conditions may increase the risk. While some tumors grow slowly and may not require immediate treatment, others can be aggressive and life-threatening.
