Brain Tumour Diagnosis: Understanding The Side Effects Of Treatment & Its Fix
In the past, brain tumor might have seemed like a difficult and fatal prognosis for any patient, but with advancements in the medical industry, it is possible to recover from this condition. Brain tumor is treatable and even curable, especially when it is diagnosed at an early stage. With advanced treatments, patients can be treated with more accuracy and precision, thereby resulting in better patient outcomes.
Brain surgery is a lot for the human body to handle. Swelling in the brain after a surgery means that it will take some time before the benefits of having a tumor removed is felt. In the meantime, a person will feel some side effects depending on the type of surgery they underwent and location of the tumor. Some common side effects felt at this time includes hemiparesis (weakness or the inability to move on one side of the body), speech difficulty or aphasia, ataxia, flaccid paralysis, and difficulty to swallow food. These symptoms can come and go and are a normal part of the recovery period, so it is important that a person does not get too stressed about them.
It is challenging to successfully treat brain tumor conditions, although a variety of techniques are employed from steroids, surgery, chemotherapy, and proton therapy. Every person with a brain tumor deserves to function as optimally as possible, so they should be evaluated for successful rehabilitation treatment and made aware of the following side effects that they might encounter during their recovery process.
Fatigue - The patient lacks energy and this can result in sudden tiredness, need to rest, low motivation, and other related symptoms. Fatigue is best handled by adjusting the person’s lifestyle through lifestyle management tips and experimenting with mind-calming therapies, healthy eating habits, good sleeping habits, and seeking sleep medication under medical supervision.
Nausea and Vomiting - The patient complains of an uneasy feeling in the stomach accompanied by an urge to vomit. The doctor will prescribe suitable medications that will help to control vomiting and nauseous sensations.
Memory Loss - It is normal for brain tumor patient to experience short term memory loss after surgery and/or radiation therapy. To handle memory loss, the patient should perform activities that stimulate the brain such as reading, writing, exercising etc. Also, the patient can rely on audio-video aids to stay active and take notes to stay focused.
Most of these symptoms are noticed by caregivers and family members. Therefore, it is important to discuss them with the treating neurosurgeon and seek proper clinical evaluation. Comprehensive treatment could be required to treat and handle such conditions through counselling, psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, speech and language therapy, cognitive rehabilitation therapy and/or suitable medication is extremely important for the full recovery of the patient.
In addition to the above, changes in personality and behavior can also happen in patients who have undergone brain tumor surgeries. Some of the side effects after treatment can include:
Clinical depression - The patient experiences sudden mood swings, loss of interest, guilt, sadness, changes in sleep patterns and even suicidal thoughts.
Changes in personality and behavior - These changes are often detected by caregivers. The patient is likely to display neuropsychiatric symptoms such as paranoia, mania, hallucination, delusion, etc.
Cognitive changes - The patient finds it difficult to learn and recall new information, do oral and/or written communication, and perform tasks and planning. They will also display confusion and distraction in most of their tasks and have reduced reasoning capabilities.
Infertility - Brain tumor patients are likely to experience complications in having children or even infertility. If possible, such patients should opt for fertility preservation before getting treated for brain tumor.
Cranial Nerve Function - Nerves located near the tumor are likely to be affected by surgery or radiation therapy. These nerves help in seeing, viewing and in performing facial movements. As a result, the patient experiences hearing issues, difficulty in standing or walking, weakened facial muscles, numbness, trouble swallowing, and seeing. Treating cranial nerve side effects could require speech and language therapy, and special auditory and eye treatment for issues related to hearing and vision.
Although some side effects of brain tumor are unavoidable, a lot of them can be prevented by proper surgical planning, use of high-end microscope and neuronavigation, intra operative neuromonitoring, and newer surgical approaches which can improve patient outcomes to a great extent. For instance, awake brain tumor surgery is a new surgical approch in which the brain tumor is removed while the patient is still awake and able to follow the commands of the surgeon, while lowering the risk of damage to functional areas of the brain that could affect vision, movement or speech.
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