Common symptoms of brain tumors include a crippling headache, seizures, and nausea.
But there are other, lesser-known signs that a cancerous tumor may be growing in your brain.
This may include hearing voices and excessive growth spurts.
According to the charity Brain Tumor Research, brain tumors kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
Here MailOnline reveals five strange warning signs of a brain tumor.
There are over 120 different types of brain tumors, which means that symptoms vary a lot. Hearing voices, losing interest in hobbies, forgetfulness, blurred vision, and growth spurts, especially in the hands and feet, are all warning signs of a brain tumor
Loss of interest in hobbies
Sudden loss of interest in your favorite hobby can be a warning sign of a brain tumor.
According to The Brain Tumor Charity, one in three people with a brain tumor experience some kind of personality change.
This can take the form of a loss of interest in a hobby.
When a tumor grows in the brain, it can put pressure on healthy cells around it.
If it develops in the frontal lobe, the area that controls emotions, personality and behavior, you may even start behaving strangely.
A tumor on the pituitary gland can also cause personality changes such as depression and anxiety, says the charity Brain Tumor Research.
Dr. Karen Noble, director of policy, research and innovation at Brain Tumor Research, said: ‘Brain tumors near the pituitary gland can cause some of the most surprising symptoms, such as extreme changes in personality, weight and physical size, or delays in puberty. .
“This is because the tumor affects the levels of hormones the gland produces.”
But it’s important to catch these symptoms early.
Only 40 percent of brain cancer patients live more than a year after diagnosis and only 20 percent survive five years, data suggests.
Extreme growth spurts
Tumors affecting the pituitary gland can also rarely cause extreme growth spurts in both adults and children.
Some tumors that affect the pituitary gland make hormones, according to Cancer Research.
This production of hormones can cause a growth spurt in young people.
But these growth spurts don’t only occur in children, they can also occur in adults.
This unusual increase in size can cause the hands, feet or even the lower jaw to grow in adults, experts say.
Dr. Noble said: ‘Early detection and treatment can prevent complications later on; however, brain tumors are often misdiagnosed, which can delay it.
“There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors and the symptoms are many and varied – depending on where in the brain the tumor is located.”
Growth spurts can be a sign of a brain tumor on the pituitary gland. But these growth spurts don’t only occur in children, they can also occur in adults. This unusual increase in size can cause the hands or feet to grow, experts say
Forgetfulness
Forgetting to perform everyday tasks such as locking the door and turning off the oven are often seen as hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
But forgetfulness can also be a sign of a brain tumor.
Because many parts of the brain work to store and recall different kinds of memories, it’s hard to pinpoint how different brain tumors will affect people’s memory, according to The Brain Tumor Charity.
The charity explains that forgetfulness is more likely to be experienced if the tumor is in the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain, where memories are stored.
As many as one in two people experience memory problems caused by a brain tumor, but it can also be caused by its treatment.
A decrease in mental ability and confusion are also symptoms of a brain tumor in this part of the brain.
Experts warn that these symptoms may initially come and go before getting worse.
Blurry sight
Blurred vision or vision that comes and goes even when you wear your glasses could be a sign of a brain tumor.
If the brain tumor puts pressure on the optic nerve, your vision could be drastically affected, experts say.
You may even find yourself starting to get clumsier and bumping into things, especially if you lose your sight out of the corner of your eye.
It can cause you to bump into objects on your left or right side if you lose your preferred vision.
If the brain tumor puts pressure on the optic nerve, your vision could be drastically affected, experts say. In addition to blurry or double vision, you may also experience blurry vision caused by coughing, sneezing, or even just bending over
Blurred vision, floating shapes and tunnel vision can also be signs of a brain tumor, according to Cancer Research.
In addition to blurry or double vision, you may also experience blurry vision caused by coughing, sneezing, or even just bending over.
However, these eye and vision-related symptoms, if they come on suddenly, could also be caused by a blood clot or meningitis, so the charity Brain Tumor Research recommends seeking urgent medical advice.
Dr. Noble said: “Regular eye tests can sometimes detect eye problems that indicate the presence of a brain tumor before symptoms become apparent.”
Hear voices
Hallucinating voices and hearing random noises can sometimes indicate a mental illness.
But it could also be a brain tumor.
Auditory hallucinations, as they are called, can be caused by brain tumors that are both malignant and benign.
These hallucinations can occur if the tumor is in the temporal lobe, the part of the brain that processes sound, understands language, and encodes memory.
It can also happen if the tumor is pressed against a nerve that sends signals from the ear to the brain.
A tumor here can also cause problems with hearing and speaking, according to Cancer Research.
Dr. Nobel said: ‘Devastatingly, in addition to all this uncertainty, those who are diagnosed with a brain tumor usually also face a very dismal prognosis. Only 12 percent of the patients survive beyond the age of five.’
The NHS advises anyone experiencing hallucinations that cause you to see, hear, smell, taste or feel things that seem real but are not to seek medical help.