There are three types of symptoms from brain tumors:

  • Sudden events—seizures and strokes
  • Slowly decreasing brain function
  • Generalized brain dysfunction

Sudden Events—Seizures and Strokes

  • Generalized or major motor seizures cause you to pass out and shake violently all over. You may lose control of your urine or bowels and bite your tongue.
  • Focal seizures cause one part of your body, like an arm, to shake uncontrollably. Seizures may start out localized and progress to generalized, known as Jacksonian seizures.
  • Without any shaking, part of your body may just stop working. This is similar to what happens during a stroke.
  • Some seizures are very quick and may be as simple as an episode of blinking.

Slowly Decreasing Brain Function

Just about anything your brain does may slowly fail. As a tumor grows, changes can occur in:

  • Vision
  • Memory
  • Comprehension
  • Coordination
  • Speech
  • Intellect
  • Sensation
  • Personality

Generalized Brain Dysfunction

Symptoms of generalized brain dysfunction may include:

  • Headache
  • Dementia
  • Trouble walking
  • Difficulty controlling bowels and bladder
  • Personality changes

These changes happen because pressure is building or blood supply is decreasing.