Dr. Sujata Chandrakant Gokak

June is known as the Brain Tumour Month worldwide. It’s worthwhile to raise public awareness and educate people about brain tumour, a disease which, though is rare is but can be really deadly. More than 500 new cases are diagnosed with brain tumour every day worldwide. The number of patients with secondary tumours are even higher than 500. However, it is common across all ages.  A primary brain tumour is a tumour that begins in the brain. It can be either malignant, which means it contains cancer cells or benign i.e. does not contain cancer cells. A secondary or metastatic brain tumour is usually cancerous. It starts elsewhere in the body and sends cancerous cells which grow in the brain.

Here are a few facts that each one of us should know about this dangerous disease

1. Brain tumours can occur at any age.
2. We don’t know what causes brain tumors. Family history and high dose radiation like X-rays increases your risk.
3. Doctors group brain tumors by grade which means the way the brain cells look under a microscope. A higher grade number means the cells appear more abnormal and the more aggressively the tumour usually behaves.
4. Brain tumors are graded as grade I, grade II, or grade III, or grade IV.

Symptoms
The symptoms of brain tumour depend on the size, type, and location of the brain tumour. Some common symptoms which should not be ignored are-

1. Headaches
2. Seizures
3. Problems with vision
4. Vomiting
5. Mental and personality changes
6. Balance problems and trouble walking
7. Problems in speaking

Diagnosis
Brain tumours are diagnosed by the doctor based on the medical history and physical examination along with a slew of specialized tests of the brain and nervous system.

Treatment

1. Surgery
2. Radiation therapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Anti-seizure medicines
5. Steroids
6. Ventricular peritoneal shunt
7. Combination of treatments

How can you safeguard yourself?
The primary tool to prevent brain tumours is by controlling your lifestyle. This means eating healthy, exercising, avoiding known carcinogens in your environment, and reducing stress.

1. Sleep: Sleep is a friend for brain health. An adequate amount of rest with eyes shut keeps your brain health.
2. Frankincense oil: Along with yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises to reduce stress, inhaling frankincense oil can help alleviate inflammation in the brain.
3. Anti cancer diet: Consuming a diet rich in cancer-fighting nutrients like antioxidants is critical in preventing brain tumors.
4. Ketogenic diet: A ketogenic diet is a high protein diet. It reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain which is associated with brain tumours. It also shuts down the nutrient supply to tumors.
5. Calorie restriction: Dietary restriction, especially fasting has anti-carcinogenic properties just as the ketogenic diet.
6. Limit exposure to mobile phones: Cell phones use increases risk for brain tumours. So restriction prevents these tumours. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Neurologist.