When a headache really is a brain tumor

Red flag No. 1: These headaches are new for you

If you don't usually have headaches, or if this is a different type of headache from the ones you usually have, that could be a warning sign, Medina says.

Red flag No. 2: Your headaches are accompanied by other symptoms

Barnett says he rarely sees a brain tumor patient whose only symptom was a headache. Most of the time, the person also has something else, such as nausea, dizziness, or vomiting. Sometimes the signs are even more obvious, such as seizures, difficulty speaking, weakness in the limbs, or problems with peripheral vision.

Red flag No. 3: Your headaches start when you wake up in the morning

Typically, when someone has a brain tumor, the headaches start in the morning often accompanied by nausea and vomiting and get better as the day goes on, Barnett says.

"Headaches that come on as the day wears on and get worse into the evening are typically not associated with brain tumors," he adds. "They're more associated with the stress of daily life."

Red flag No. 4: Your headaches get worse over time

If your headaches get worse over a period of days, weeks, or months, that could be a warning sign, Barnett says.

Red flag No. 5: Something just doesn't seem right

You can have none of these red flags and still have a brain tumor. If your inner voice, or your doctor's inner voice, says something is seriously wrong, listen to it.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/07...mor/index.html