Have you had these symptoms? Hearing loss? Dizziness? Ringing in one of your ears? Numbness in your face? That could be a sign of something called an acoustic neuroma. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s a non-cancerous tumor that is on the main nerve between your inner ear and your brain. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, acoustic neuroma happens to 1 in 100,000 people
Keep in mind that these various symptoms can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a childhood disease reactivating to wipe out one’s remaining hearing. It’s important to get thoroughly evaluated by several doctors, including a neurologist. You will likely have to undergo an MRI to ensure that it is an acoustic neuroma. Then treatment can begin.
Monitoring
This usually happens if the acoustic neuroma is small. These things grow very slowly, and they may also decide to go this route if they do not have a lot of symptoms. They may also elect to monitor you if you’re older since your body might not be able to handle more aggressive treatment. You will go in for regular hearing and imaging check-ups to make sure that it hasn’t progressed.
Surgery
Your doctor will likely suggest surgery if it seems like the tumor is growing or is causing more symptoms. They have to be careful, though, since they don’t want to cause problems with your facial nerve. If that’s the case, then they will only remove part of the tumor. They will do the surgery in your inner ear or in a window in your skull. You will be under general anesthesia. It’s not guaranteed, though, and they may irritate other nerves that affect your hearing or balance. If you’re worried, then you might want to consider the next option: the gamma knife.
Gamma Knife
Despite its unique name, it’s not a scalpel that emits gamma rays. It’s actually an advanced therapy that will treat acoustic neuromas. The medical staff can precisely focus almost 200 beams of low-dose radiation on the tumor. It’s a highly successful way of treating this, with between 94% and 97% of them properly doing the job.
Acoustic neuromas are generally not life-threatening, and people can get things like cochlear implants to deal with hearing loss. If you’re worried about your symptoms, talk to your doctor so that you can start treatment if need be.
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Posted August 8, 2023
