Brain tumours can affect people at any age — including both very young children and elderly individuals.
While not all brain tumours are cancerous, in people at these “extreme” age groups, there’s a higher likelihood that the tumour will be malignant (cancerous).
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Rahul Gupta, senior director and HOD – neuro and spine surgery, Fortis Hospital, Noida said, “Every human being can have a tumour at any stage of the life and similarly children are not spared. Brain tumours can occur in children of all ages.”
He added, “These tumours lie within the brain tissue more often than in adults. Hence, chance of having cancer is more,” according to Hindustan Times.
Early warning signs of brain tumour in children:
Early signs of a brain tumour in children can include headaches with vomiting, a growing head size, or seizures.
While, in babies, brain tumours can block the normal flow of fluid in the brain, causing a condition called hydrocephalus, where too much fluid builds up in the head. This leads to an unusually large head.
In slightly older children, common signs include headaches with vomiting, being irritable, eating less, and losing weight.
Some children may have vision problems like blurred vision, seeing double, or a special eye sign called the sun-setting sign, where the eyes seem to look downward.
Other signs include weakness in the arms or legs, an uneven face, or stiff body movements due to high pressure inside the skull.
If not treated in time, these problems can become serious and may even lead to coma or death.
