What does persistent headache feel like with brain tumour?

Some headaches are dull and pressurised, while others throb or are accompanied by nausea. You may notice that the pain interrupts sleep, is more troublesome in the morning, or no longer responds as expected to your usual measures. Persistent Headache is a very common presentation of Brain Tumour. Depending on the tumour and its location, a headache can occur with seizures, unsteadiness, personality or memory changes, visual disturbance, weakness, or difficulty finding words. These symptoms need clinical review, but a headache alone cannot tell you what is causing it.

Record the time of day, severity, location, duration, triggers, and whether rest or prescribed medicine changes the pain. Add details about vomiting, clumsiness, falls, sensory changes, vision, speech, and recent medication changes. Let your treating clinician know about a persistent or changing headache rather than adjusting medicines on your own. If you feel dizzy, confused, or visually impaired, ask someone else to take you for assessment and avoid driving.

Get emergency help for a sudden, severe headache; a seizure; collapse; new facial droop; weakness on one side; trouble speaking; severe drowsiness; repeated vomiting; or abrupt visual loss. Contact your specialist team promptly if pain is escalating over days, repeatedly wakes you, or appears with a new change in coordination, memory, behaviour, or sensation. Acting on these warning signs is about the change in symptoms, not about guessing the cause.

Could pressure, swelling, treatment effects, or another cause be contributing to this headache? What should I write in a symptom diary? Who should I contact outside clinic hours, and which changes call for emergency care?