Your daily adult tube feed all in one place!
I'm a top neurologist - here's the common sign of brain cancer people often ignore
Doctors warn that Americans are 'masking' potential signs of brain cancer with painkillers.
When a headache comes on, your first instinct may be to reach for a bottle of medicine or lie down in a dark, quiet room.
However, if you find yourself constantly popping pills or having to stop your everyday activities, it may be a sign of something more sinister.
Dr Mina Lobbous, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, said that brain cancer, which kills 18,000 Americans every year, can manifest as persistent headaches that require some form of painkiller to alleviate.
She also warned that the condition can be difficult to diagnose early due to a lack of preventative screening.
Experts warned that regularly getting headaches that require pain meds could be a sign of brain cancer
Former Senator John McCain (left) and Beau Biden (right) both died of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with just a seven percent survival rate
'It is very important to be mindful of symptoms that require more urgent evaluation, as early detection and intervention can have a significant impact on outcomes such as survival or neurological function in some types of tumors,' Dr Lobbous told Parade.
The warning comes as cancer cases surge in young, otherwise healthy Americans.
Dr Lobbous warned to pay attention if you catch yourself regularly opening a bottle of Aspirin for headaches.
'Persistent headaches, especially new-onset severe headache, with or without nausea, vomiting or blurry vision, should be discussed with a provider right away instead of depending on over-the-counter headache remedies,' she said.
This is especially true for patients who don't otherwise have a history of chronic headaches or migraines.
Dr Jose Carrillo, a neurologist and neuro-oncologist at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in California, told Parade: 'Headaches accompanied with nausea in a person that does not have a history of migraines should be evaluated right away for a brain tumor.'
Pain and nausea may occur because a tumor leads to increased pressure in the skull, particularly as it grows larger.
According to Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, tumor-related nausea may last for at least a week, feel worse in the morning or when laying down, and intensify after suddenly changing positions.
Dr George Al Shamy of Memorial Hermann in Texas noted that headaches from tumors 'are typically continuous' and 'worse in the morning and when bending forward.'
Additionally, a 2021 review in the journal Cephalalgia suggested that headaches are the most common brain cancer symptom.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 25,000 brain and spinal cord tumors will be diagnosed with this, and over 18,700 adults and children will die.
There are more than 125 forms of brain cancer. The most common cancers are gliomas, which form from the brain's glial cells. These help hold nerve cells in place.
About 33 percent of brain tumors are gliomas, which include a wide range of cancers including the ultra-aggressive glioblastoma that killed John McCain and Beau Biden.
Just one in three brain cancer patients are expected to survive after five years.
However, brain cancer is still rare. According to the American Cancer Society, the overall lifetime risk of developing the disease is less than one percent.
Dr Lobbous noted that other brain cancer signs included seizures, vision changes, weakness, numbness, double vision, hearing changes, facial pain or numbness, and difficulty swallowing or speaking.