Persistent morning headaches could indicate brain tumour, says neurosurgeon

A neurovascular neurosurgery subspecialist has stated that severe headaches consistently appearing in the morning could be a symptom of a brain tumour. “The headache is consistently most severe upon waking up in the morning. After waking, the headache usually remains, but it is not as severe as it was in the morning. If there is a headache complaint like that, it is best to get it checked,” said Dr. dr. Mardjono Tjahjadi, a neurosurgery graduate from Padjadjaran University, during a media event in Jakarta on Thursday. The complaint of headaches consistently occurring in the morning is influenced by the body’s position during sleep at night. While sleeping in a lying or supine position, the prolonged gravitational effect on blood flow and cerebral fluid causes brain pressure to increase. Joy, as the doctor is familiarly known, stated that a headache which could be a symptom of a brain tumour is chronic and progressive. Chronic means the complaint has persisted for months, and although its intensity fluctuates, the headache remains present. Progressive means the pain worsens day by day. “So, if there is a chronic progressive headache, that should be suspected. Furthermore, the nature of the headache is not like being pricked by a needle, but rather feels like pressure. The headache becomes dull, hurts all over, like being gripped,” Joy explained. Symptoms of a brain tumour, Joy noted, can vary depending on the size, location, and the speed of the tumour’s growth. In general, brain tumour symptoms also include behavioural disorders, sudden seizures, difficulty speaking, nausea or vomiting, as well as visual and hearing disturbances. Joy added that the cause of brain tumours is still unknown. It is the growth of abnormal cells in or around the brain that can increase pressure within the cranial cavity, causing various complaints and health problems.