Saba Ali Khan recalls brain tumour diagnosis at 27 after suddenly fainting: ‘Thought it was my stomach’

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.

The experience taught her not to take life for granted. During the conversation, Dr Turel also cautioned against overlooking severe headaches and significant changes in memory.

“You could still be perfectly walking, talking, and still have had the worst headache of your life. They are typically called thunderclap headaches. That’s a time when you should get a scan done. I see about 10-15 patients a year with a dull, aching headache, and they have a brain tumour. Not every tumour needs surgery; if you forget where you put your keys, it’s okay. But if you forget what keys are used for, then it’s a problem. Don’t just call it dementia, get scanned first.”

But how can people distinguish everyday complaints from symptoms that need neurological evaluation? Dr Amitabh Gupta, Director of Neurosurgery at PSRI Hospital, explains the warning signs to watch for, when a headache may be an emergency and how doctors decide whether a brain tumour needs treatment.

What are the early warning signs of a brain tumour?

Brain tumours can present with subtle symptoms, and not every headache, bout of fatigue or episode of forgetfulness indicates a tumour. According to Dr Gupta, what matters is whether symptoms represent a change from a person’s usual health pattern, persist despite treatment or become progressively worse.

“Headaches that continue despite medications or become worse over time, vomiting with a headache or without an obvious cause, seizures, especially in adults, blurred or reduced vision, weakness in the arms or legs, grip weakness, balance issues, trouble speaking, and changes in behaviour, memory or concentration are all reasons to seek medical help,” he explains.

Fatigue and digestive discomfort, on their own, are relatively nonspecific symptoms and can have many causes. However, if symptoms persist, worsen or occur alongside neurological changes, they should not be dismissed.

“An early assessment will help establish the cause,” says Dr Gupta, advising people to consult a doctor rather than repeatedly self-medicating when symptoms persist or are unusual.

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What is a thunderclap headache, and when is it an emergency?

A thunderclap headache is a sudden, extremely severe headache that reaches its peak intensity within seconds to a minute. It may be described as the worst headache a person has ever experienced, particularly if they have never had anything similar before.

Unlike an ordinary headache that develops gradually, a thunderclap headache can indicate a medical emergency, including bleeding around the brain or a ruptured aneurysm. “It may be accompanied by severe bouts of vomiting, neck stiffness, fainting, confusion or visual disturbances,” Dr Gupta says.

Anyone experiencing a sudden, severe headache that peaks rapidly should seek emergency medical attention rather than wait for it to subside or assume it is a migraine. The urgency is particularly high if the headache occurs with fainting, confusion, weakness, visual changes or other neurological symptoms.

How can you distinguish normal forgetfulness from a concerning memory change?

Occasionally misplacing keys, forgetting a name or taking longer to recall information can happen with age, fatigue or stress. If the information comes back later and the lapses do not interfere with everyday activities, they may not indicate a serious neurological problem.

However, persistent memory or behavioural changes warrant attention, particularly when they affect daily functioning. “If you find yourself asking the same questions over and over, getting lost in places you’re familiar with, having trouble with routine tasks, finding it hard to call words to mind, or noticing changes in your personality, you should get a medical evaluation,” Dr Gupta explains.

Such symptoms do not necessarily point to a brain tumour. Sleep problems, medication effects, nutritional deficiencies and other neurological conditions can also affect memory and behaviour.

Does every brain tumour require surgery?

“Some benign tumours may remain the same throughout a person’s life without causing any problems,” Dr Gupta says. In selected cases, doctors may recommend regular monitoring with MRI scans, particularly when a tumour is small, slow-growing and not causing symptoms. Other tumours may require surgery to establish a diagnosis, relieve pressure on the brain or remove as much of the growth as can be safely taken out.

“Smaller tumours can also be treated effectively with radiosurgery, which uses highly focused radiation,” he adds.

Depending on the tumour’s diagnosis and characteristics, treatment may also involve radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted medicines. Some patients may need a combination of approaches. “The decision is personalised by a specialist team, weighing tumour control against the preservation of important brain functions,” Dr Gupta explains.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.