SAS Nagar, June 7 - Dr. (Lieutenant Colonel) Harmandeep Singh Brar, Senior Consultant, Department of Neurosurgery, Fortis Hospital Mohali, has said that the risk of brain tumor can be reduced by a healthy lifestyle, balanced diet and regular exercise.
He said that brain tumor affects many people around the world every year. Dr. Brar said that brain tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). About one-third (27.9 percent) brain tumors are malignant. These are classified as primary CNS tumors (which form in the brain itself) or secondary tumors (which spread from cancer in another part of the body).
He said that about 5 to 10 percent of cases may have a family history of brain tumor. Exposure to high amounts of radiation increases the risk of brain cancer. It can occur at any age, but is more commonly seen in the age group of 50 to 60 years. Malignant tumors are more common in men, while benign tumors are more common in women.
He said that the most common symptoms include recurrent and intense headache, which increases especially in the morning and may also be accompanied by vomiting. Apart from this, the patient may have seizures (fits), weakness or numbness (paralysis) in hands or feet, slurred speech, problems in seeing or hearing, whistling sound in the ears (tinnitus), difficulty in swallowing, imbalance in walking or dizziness.
He said that the diagnosis of brain tumor usually depends on the presence of clinical symptoms like headache or seizures. He said that neurological examination and radiological investigations like NCCT along with other related symptoms are also done. (Non-Contrast Computed Tomography) and Contrast MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of the brain can also diagnose the condition.
He said though brain tumour cannot be completely prevented, adopting a healthy lifestyle, having a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting periodic health check-ups done and avoiding environmental hazards like unnecessary radiation can help in its early detection and treatment.