Acoustic Neuroma: Symptoms and Treatment

Post by Joseph Devine

Every year, about 3,000 folks in the US are diagnosed with acoustic neuromas, also recognized as a vestibular schwannoma. This is a benign tumor that develops near the brain and places pressure on the auditory nerve (also known as the eighth cranial nerve), which connects the sensory cells of your inner ear to your brain. While such a diagnosis can be alarming, it is essential to note that acoustic neuromas are non-cancerous - they grow really slowly, and do not spread to other parts of the body.

Acoustic neuromas can be hard to diagnose, as the symptoms they trigger are similar to many other, far far more frequent conditions. Patients typically will need to undergo MRI's, hearing exams, and other tests to confirm that their diagnoses. Unfortunately, because the onset of symptoms can be so gradual, patients at times suffer from acoustic neuromas for months or even years just before being diagnosed.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this condition can vary depending on the size and precise location of the tumor. As it grows, symptoms will usually turn out to be much more pronounced. These symptoms may possibly incorporate:

Sudden or gradual hearing loss (normally in one ear)Increasing difficulty with balance and mobilityPersistent feelings of vertigo (dizziness)Tinnitus (a "ringing in the ears" without external causes)Numbness or tingling sensations in the faceWeakness of facial muscles

Some patients live with acoustic neuromas for years without developing severe symptoms, whilst other instances progress reasonably rapidly. Doctors are not sure what causes this discrepancy between patients.

Treatment Options

An Acoustic neuroma is usually considered a treatable condition. Depending on the patient's overall wellness and other aspects, a physician might recommend one or much more of the following:

Typical monitoring - If the growth is not causing severe issues, the patient and his or her physician may decide to simply leave it alone. Even so, the patient will require to visit the hospital on a standard basis for scans and other tests. This will enable his or her physician to monitor the issue for signs of tumor growth or other wellness complications.Radiation treatment - Advancements in cancer remedies now enable doctors to direct a beam of radiation directly to a tumor, killing tumor cells while causing little to no damage to surrounding tissues. Radiotherapy does not call for surgery and can be an effective way to avoid tumor growth in some instances, it may possibly even be sufficient to eliminate the tumor totally. Surgery - If the patient chooses, he or she may undergo surgery to simply remove the tumor. This can be an attractive choice, specially contemplating that the odds of re-growth are very low. Nevertheless, surgery can have side effects of its own, which includes damage to nerves or muscles.

A individual with acoustic neuroma needs to weigh his or her options carefully, such as the pros and cons of every 1. Although it is rarely a life-threatening diagnosis, its symptoms can have a profound effect on a person's life.

To understand about treatments for hearing loss of all kinds, contact a hearing aid specialist from HearingPlanet.

About the Author

Joseph Devine

-A vestibular schwannoma, frequently known as an acoustic neuroma, is a benign primary intracranial tumor of the myelin-forming cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII). The term "vestibular schwannoma" is the correct 1 simply because the tumor entails the vestibular portion of the 8th cranial nerve and arises from Schwann cells, which are responsible for the myelin sheath in the peripheral nervous system. Approximately 3000 cases are diagnosed each and every year in the United States with a prevalence of about 1 in 100000 worldwide. It comprises five-10% of all intracranial neoplasms in adults. Incidence peaks in the fifth and sixth decades and both sexes are affected equally. -Edson Zerati, MD www.zerati.com
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