Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a meningioma typically begin gradually and may be very subtle at first. Depending on where in the brain or, rarely, spine the tumor is situated, signs and symptoms may include:

• Changes in vision, such as seeing double or blurriness
• Headaches, especially those that are worse in the morning
• Hearing loss or ringing in the ears
• Memory loss
• Loss of smell
• Seizures
• Weakness in your arms or legs
• Language difficulty

When to see a doctor

Most signs and symptoms of a meningioma evolve slowly, but sometimes a meningioma requires emergency care.

Seek emergency care if you have:

• Sudden onset of seizures
• Sudden changes in your vision or memory

Make an appointment to see your doctor if you have persistent signs and symptoms that concern you, such as headaches that worsen over time.

In many cases, because meningiomas do not cause any noticeable signs or symptoms, they are only discovered as a result of imaging scans done for reasons that turn out to be unrelated to the tumor, such as a head injury, stroke or headaches.