{
  "id": 7102096,
  "title": "Filipina expat in UAE, 50, shares how ‘routine ENT symptoms’ turned out to be a brain tumour",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/filipina-expat-in-uae-50-shares-how-routine-ent-symptoms-turned-out",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-13T10:09:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/filipina-expat-in-uae-50-shares-how-routine-ent-symptoms-turned-out-to-be-a-brain-tumour-1.500672923"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dubai: For several months, Maira, a 50-year-old Filipino woman living in the United Arab Emirates, experienced minor symptoms that she initially dismissed. She noticed her sense of smell fading, her vision occasionally becoming blurred, and a persistent clear nasal discharge that never fully resolved. These issues appeared inconsequential to many, often attributed to aging, allergies, or general exhaustion. However, when these symptoms started disrupting her daily life, Maira sought help from an ENT specialist. Upon conducting an MRI of her brain, the true cause was discovered: a rare brain tumor known as an olfactory groove meningioma, located in the region responsible for smell sensation. This revelation explained the gradual deterioration in her sense of smell, visual disturbances, and ongoing nasal discharge. The medical team comprising ENT surgeons and neurosurgeons discussed the implications of the diagnosis with Maira and her family. Considering the tumor's location, the optimal course of action was determined to be a nasal surgery, avoiding the need for a skull opening. The surgery was successful, and for a brief period, it seemed the worst was over. However, on the second day post-operation, Maira faced a setback as fluid that typically cushions the brain started leaking through her right nostril heavily, accompanied by drowsiness. This serious complication prompted immediate medical intervention, leading to a second surgery to repair the leak and placement of a shunt to safely redirect excess fluid away from her brain. Unfortunately, she experienced another complication where air accumulated inside her skull, a dangerous situation that required further surgical attention and placed her on a ventilator for a day to aid her recovery from the repeated medical procedures. Despite these challenges, Maira's recovery gradually improved. Following additional scans, her condition stabilized, and her nose packing was removed once doctors were confident there was no further leakage. Her strength and alertness returned over time, and she was eventually discharged from the hospital, emerging from a highly intensive and closely monitored medical stay. Dr. Anoop Narendran, a neurosurgery specialist at Medcare Royal Specialty Hospital in Dubai, emphasized the importance of recognizing brain tumors, which often present with subtle symptoms that can be easily overlooked. These symptoms, including persistent headaches, vision changes, seizures, unexplained weakness or numbness, balance problems, speech difficulties, memory or behavior changes, and gradual alterations in the sense of smell, warrant medical evaluation even if they resemble common complaints. Dr. Narendran advised that while not every headache or sniffle should be a cause for alarm, being aware of changes in one's health and seeking medical advice early when symptoms are persistent, unusual, or progressively worsening is crucial.",
  "summary": "Dubai: For months, Maira, a 50-year-old Filipina expat in the UAE, noticed small things going wrong. Smells stopped registering the way they used to. Her vision blurred every so often. And her nose kept running with a clear, watery discharge that never quite went away. None of it seemed urgent. Many people would put similar symptoms down to allergies, ageing, or simply being run down. Maira did…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}