Headache disorders affect 52 percent of the worldwide population within a given year, per a 2022 study published in The Journal of Headache and Pain. And while headaches often dissipate with rest, hydration, and over-the-counter (OTC) medications like Tylenol or Advil, the tension and throbbing are sometimes insufferable. Nevertheless, many of us choose to fight through the pain and get on with our days because headaches, for the most part, are more bothersome than harmful—but that’s not always the case.
Headaches can be provoked by stress, diet, dehydration, drastic weather changes, strong odors, loud music, or excessive screen time. However, sometimes a headache is a symptom of other health issues like allergies, the flu, a sinus infection… or a brain tumor.
RELATED: Kate Walsh Says Her Doctor Dismissed These Brain Tumor Symptoms as Depression.
Earlier this week, a Romanian makeup artist and Instagram influencer died of a brain tumor after missing a key symptom, Daily Mail reports. Anca Molnar was experiencing persistent, splitting headaches when she first learned of her cancer diagnosis. Despite undergoing two successful brain surgeries, the tumor came back stronger.
In the wake of her close friend’s sudden death, Alina Radi is urging others to monitor changes in their health, even if they seem trivial or harmless.
“She had been experiencing excruciating headaches more frequently,” Radi told local media, per Daily Mail.
“Initially, she didn’t think much of them, because that’s how we are, but she found herself struggling to carry out her daily tasks consistently,” she continued. “So, she decided to go for a specialized check-up. She told me she had a brain tumor.”
Molnar sought oncological treatment in Turkey after her team of doctors in Romania offered limited options due to her tumor’s progression. In Turkey, Molnar completed two brain surgeries and multiple rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the tumor kept progressing, and Molnar died after almost two years of intensive treatment. She was 35.
According to Mayo Clinic, tension headaches and migraines, headaches that happen more often or seem more severe, and pressure in the head that worsens are common signs and symptoms of a brain tumor.
Radi noted that her friend’s “excruciating headaches” could have been her body’s way of forewarning her of a much larger, serious issue.
“Headaches are the most common symptom of brain tumors. Headaches happen in about half of people with brain tumors. Headaches can happen if a growing brain tumor presses on healthy cells around it. Or a brain tumor can cause swelling in the brain that increases pressure in the head and leads to a headache,” explains the Mayo Clinic.
Other symptoms may include nausea, blurry vision, seizures, hearing problems, dizziness, trouble with balance, problems with speech, and memory loss.
In her last Instagram post, Molnar reflected on her life and shared a hopeful message to her 34,000 followers.
“I came, lived beautifully and left for another world. I fought as best I knew how and with all my strength …Until the last drop of HOPE,” reads the caption, as translated by Daily Mail.
“I leave my gratitude in my heart for how beautiful my life has been. Let my smile remain a testimony that I lived it to the fullest. I leave you one last exhortation: live beautifully and live to the fullest!”
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