This very tricky brain tumor still has the researchers baffled and no-one has yet conclusively shown why they appear or why they choose their victims.
What is apparent though is that nobody has the exact same experience or meningioma symptoms which also make it tricky to diagnose. Having read through meningioma survival stories and spoken to neurologists it would appear that everyone has a different story to tell. The one thing that they did all share though is the emotion of shear panic when the diagnosis if confirmed.
Meningioma symptoms are very varied due to location and what body parts or functions are being affected in that part of the brain. Before they become troublesome, many people have subtle symptoms, experienced over a long period of time, that they do not associate with brain interference and are often surprised when the meningioma is diagnosed.
Meningioma symptoms such as memory loss, carelessness and vision blurring are also problems many people have to put up with as they get older and therefore these symptoms alone would not necessarily alert us to any major problem. Meningiomas may cause focal neurological defects and these are the symptoms that often send us to the doctor initially:
Arm or leg weakness
Seizures
Constant headaches
Other meningioma symptoms that may be passed by as insignificant on their own are:
Hearing loss
Loss of smell
Loss of sensation in the face
Vision Loss or visual problems
All these symptoms are caused because of increased pressure or restriction of the related function in the brain. The meningioma is fighting for space as it grows and if it is benign (non cancerous) and slow growing, can become fairly large before any symptoms become apparent. Appropriate treatment options are dependant on location but surgery is recommended if accessible to remove all or as much as possible of the meningioma.
A meningioma is a tumour of the meninges. The meninges are protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. 90% of meningiomas are benign, 6% are atypical, and 2% are malignant. Research so far has shown that meningioma brain tumours are more common in women than men and seem to be more prevalent in the 40 - 60 year old age group. Research continues to be carried out into the possible causes of meningioma as at the present time, as with most brain tumours, no conclusive cause has been found.
The majority of meningioma brain tumors are benign - the word benign is misleading in this case as, when benign tumours grow and constrict the brain, they can cause disability and even be life threatening if not treated.
Take note of what your body is trying to tell you. If you are experiencing any strange or unusual symptoms that you are uncomfortable about, a visit to your physician is always the best remedy.
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