34 Could my head aches be a brain tumour?

‘ONLY 0.05 per cent of people who see their GP about headaches have a brain tumour, according to one study,’ says Dr Shazia Afridi. ‘ It’s also extremely rare for headaches to be the only symptoms of a brain tumour — in most cases there will be other symptoms, such as seizures, dizziness, weakness and visual disturbances, vertigo and black outs, personality change or confusion.

‘Other red flag symptoms of brain tumourrelated headaches include headaches that get progressively worse over time and become constant, or severe headaches that start over the age of 50 when the person has no history of severe headaches.

‘Most headaches are benign,’ she explains, and emphasises that migraine and tension are the most common causes. ‘I’d advise anyone concerned about regular headaches with other accompanying symptoms to see a GP,’ says Dr Afridi.