A brain tumour is a collection of abnormal cells in your brain that forms a mass. Your brain is protected by a highly tough skull. Any expansion in such a small location can generate complications. Brain tumours can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (noncancerous) (benign). The pressure inside your skull might rise when benign or malignant tumours get larger. This can result in brain damage, which can be fatal.
Anything that raises a person’s chances of acquiring a brain tumour is referred to as a risk factor. Although risk factors have a role in the development of a brain tumour, some of them do not produce one. Some people who have a number of risk factors never acquire a brain tumour, whereas others who have none do.
Knowing your risk factors and discussing them with your doctor may assist you in making better decisions. However, brain tumor risk can be reduced by altering one’s lifestyle.
The aetiology of a brain tumour is usually unclear, however the following factors may increase a person’s risk of having one:
1. Exposure to harmful chemicals.
Exposure to certain chemicals, such as those found in the workplace, can raise your risk of developing brain cancer. A list of probable cancer-causing substances encountered in the workplace is kept by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
2. Unhealthy diet.
During pregnancy, certain dietary choices (such as the eating of cured meats, fruits, and vegetables) may be linked to an increased risk of brain tumours. Nitrosamines, which are generated in the body from nitrites and nitrates found in cured meats, cigarette smoke, and some cosmetics, have been linked to an increased risk of juvenile and adult brain tumours, however the significance of the link is unknown.
3. Too much exposure to pesticides.
There is some evidence that household pesticides, such as flea and tick products for pets, are linked to an increased risk of brain tumours in children and young people. Children born to parents who are exposed to pesticides on the job had an elevated risk, according to a 2013 assessment of 20 research.
4. Serious head injury
The link between serious head trauma and brain tumours has long been researched. There is a relationship between head trauma and meningioma, but not between head trauma and glioma, according to certain research. Seizures have also been related to brain cancers, but because seizures can be caused by a brain tumour, it’s unclear whether seizures raise the risk of brain tumours, if seizures occur as a result of the tumour, or if anti-seizure medicine increases the risk.
