Brain tumours
Common symptoms of brain tumours include headaches, feeling or being sick and seizures (fits).
Brain tumours cause symptoms because:
they take up space inside the skull when they grow
of their position in the brain
The symptoms can develop gradually over some months or even years if the tumour is slow growing. Or quickly over days or weeks if the tumour is fast growing.
Your skull is made of bone, so there's a fixed amount of space for the brain to take up. If there's a growing tumour, it increases the pressure inside the skull. This is called raised intracranial pressure. It might cause:
Headaches are a common symptom of illness. It's unlikely that you have a brain tumour if headaches are your only symptom. But see a doctor if you have headaches:
with feeling or being sick
when you didn't have them before
that wake you up at night
with eye problems such as seeing flashing lights or blind spots
that got steadily worse over a period of weeks or months
Seizures happen in up to 80 out of every 100 people (up to 80%) with a brain tumour. You might have some jerking or twitching of your hands, arms or legs. Or your seizure might affect your whole body.
Having a seizure is very frightening. Different illnesses can cause seizures and it is important that you see your doctor immediately or go to A&E if you have one.
You might feel or be sick, especially when you move suddenly. It’s rare for people with a brain tumour to have sickness on its own. You may have sickness with headaches, weakness and problems with your eyes.
You might feel drowsy or even lose consciousness. This might happen because raised intracranial pressure can lower the blood supply to the brain. This can be frightening for you and the people around you.
You might find that your eyesight is getting worse and glasses are not helping. Or your vision comes and goes. You might lose the ability to see out of the corner of your eyes, making you bump into cars or objects on your left or right side. You may also have:
blurred vision
floating shapes
tunnel vision
You, or the people around you, might notice that you are confused or that your personality has changed. You may also find it difficult to think normally.
See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms or other changes that are unusual for you or that won’t go away. Your symptoms are unlikely to be cancer, but it is important to get them checked by a doctor.
Find out what to expect when you see your doctor and the tests you might have
Last reviewed: 19 Jan 2023
Next review due: 19 Jan 2026
You usually start by seeing your GP who might refer you to a specialist. Or you might go to Accident and Emergency (A&E) if you suddenly have severe symptoms.
Primary brain tumours are tumours that start in the brain. They can start anywhere in the brain and there are many different types of tumour.
There are many different types of brain tumours. They are usually named after the type of cell they develop from.
To understand brain tumours it helps to know about the different parts of the brain and spinal cord.
Treatment for a brain or spinal cord tumour depends on the type of tumour you have, where it is and your general health.
Primary brain tumours are cancers that start in the brain.
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