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Temporal Tumor Symptoms

Reoccurring headaches can be a pain for anyone, but they can also signal something much more serious. If you are experiencing head pain and think there might be something more to it, you don't want to stand pat and see what happens. Temporal tumors won't show up on the surface, but by the time you see the effects of blurred vision and hallucinations, the growth may be a serious--even deadly--problem.

  1. Location

    • The temporal lobe is located on the lower parts of both brain hemispheres directly below the frontal and parietal lobes. It is essential in processing speech and vision, and is also where the processes for long-term memory take place. It is also home to the hippocampus, which assists in both long-term memory development and navigation.

    Symptoms

    • Headaches are the most common symptom of temporal tumors. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of brain cancer patients develop headaches at some point, according to NeurologyChannel.com. Seizures are also a frequent consequence. In addition to nausea and vomiting, you may experience abnormalities such as vision loss or other impairments as a result of a temporal tumor.

    Considerations

    • Hallucinating is one of those common vision-altering symptoms of a temporal tumor. This occurs when growth of the tumor creates pressure on the temporal lobe. The lack of external symptoms makes it difficult to diagnose a tumor on your own, so if you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's best to check with a doctor.

    Treatment

    • Surgery will remove the tumor and alleviate the symptoms which initially signaled the tumor. Though your headaches and hallucinations will probably disappear, the tumor may still exist and will continue to grow and cause your symptoms to reoccur without treatment. You may have to undergo chemotherapy, depending on the type of tumor and the extent to which it has grown and/or spread, or other therapies such as radiation or hormone therapy.

    Expert Insight

    • If you experience any of the symptoms listed, it's important to seek medical attention right away. Because headaches are common occurrences not always related to tumors, the American Brain Tumor Association recommends keeping a headache journal, recording when and how long the headaches occur. This will help your doctor identify whether your headaches are the symptoms of a tumor or the result of something else.

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