A meningioma is a slow-growing tumor that forms in the lining covering the brain and spinal cord. Because it creeps along quietly, symptoms often show up only when the tumor pushes on nearby nerves or brain tissue. The exact signs depend on where the tumor sits and how big it gets.

The most common complaints are new headaches that don’t feel like your usual ones—steady, dull, and often worse in the morning. Vision may blur or double; you might notice frequent bumps into door frames because your side vision is fading. Hearing changes, ringing in one ear, or feeling off-balance can happen if the tumor sits near the hearing nerve. Some people have arm or leg weakness, numbness, or trouble finding words. Seizures that start out of nowhere are another red flag. Mood or memory shifts—such as feeling foggy, irritable, or forgetful—can be subtle early clues. If the tumor grows very large, nausea and vomiting may appear as pressure builds inside the skull.

Because these tumors grow slowly, many people blame stress or aging at first. Any new headache with vision, hearing, strength, or personality changes that linger for weeks should be checked with brain imaging.

Symptom area	What you might notice
Headache	Steady, worse in morning, not like usual migraines
Vision	Blurry or double, side vision fading
Hearing/balance	Ringing in one ear, feeling unsteady
Strength/speech	Arm or leg weak, numb, words hard to find
Seizure	New shaking or blackout episode
Mood/memory	Foggy, irritable, forgetful
Pressure signs	Nausea, vomiting if tumor very large