Although some of these might overlap with a hangover or stress headache, there are a few tell-tale signs your headache is more serious than you think. Is your headache worse when you lie down or when you wake up in the morning? Is it unrelenting and does it keep coming back stronger? Does it hurt more when you strain, cough, shout, or bend over? Is the pain so severe that it wakes you up at night? All of these could be good reasons to go and get yourself checked by your doctor. 

A brain tumor headache can vary from a throbbing dull ache to something more sharp and stabbing. The location of the tumor could dictate where the pain is. For example, if it’s in the front, it could feel like eye or sinus pain. 

There are different reasons why a tumor can cause pain. The brain itself can’t feel pain so an ache related to a tumor is often a result of it having grown large enough to put stress on other nerves and vessels. A buildup of pressure, because the tumor is obstructing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the brain, could also be the culprit. “It also is possible that certain tumors release inflammatory proteins (cytokines) that may contribute to headache,” shared Dr. Lindsay Lipinski, an assistant professor of oncology and a neurosurgeon at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Brain tumors don’t typically manifest as just headaches as we mentioned before so there are other warning signs you can watch out for too.