Headache can be one of the symptoms of a brain tumour. However, there are many other causes for headache and less than 1 in 100 people who have regular headaches will have a brain tumour.

The vast majority of headaches (more than 80%), are tension headaches caused by the stresses and strains of everyday life. These tend to be worse when you are feeling under pressure, and very tense or anxious.

Another common cause of headaches is migraine. This often begins with changes in your vision, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so. These can be things like flashing lights or visual disturbances. Once the visual disturbance settles it is followed by an intense, often throbbing, headache, usually around one or both temples and often causing sickness or vomiting.

Some of the symptoms which may be associated with a brain tumour include:

• the headache is regular, it may ease for short periods but it keeps coming back over days and weeks, tending to get worse with time rather than better.
• the headache is worse in the mornings and is often present when you first wake up.
• sitting up and standing up tend to make the headache worse but lying down helps to ease it.
• coughing, bending and straining may all make the headache worse. 
• vomiting makes the headache worse whilst you are actually being sick but relieves it for a while afterwards.

If you are getting regular headaches, with no obvious cause, then it is important to have this checked by your doctor to find the cause.