Acoustic Neuroma – Non Cancerous Tumor

A benign non cancerous tumor or growth in the brain is known as Acoustic Neuroma and is also called vestibular Schwannoma. It grows on the acoustic nerve which helps in controlling balance and hearing, which runs alongside the facial nerve that conveys the information from the brain to face muscles. Small acoustic neuroma causes problems like hearing loss which is the most common symptom and usually develops gradually in one ear and in some cases it may develop all of a sudden.

 Tinnitus, a perception of noise in the ear or both ears comes from within the body rather than from outside. Some examples could be the ringing sound in the ear. Balance, causing vertigo, the sensation of spinning or moving, which may be felt even when the person is still and not moving.

Large Acoustic – Multiple Symptoms

Large acoustic can cause multiple symptoms like headaches with blurred vision, is a relatively rare symptom and happens if the tumor blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid which surrounds the brain. A temporary sight problem is another rare symptom which is also caused by cerebrospinal fluid blockage.

Ataxia another symptom with physical coordination affects the ability to move such as writing or walking which may affect one side of the body. Facial numbness, tingling or pain is rare symptoms which occur if the tumor tends to press on the nerve that controls the feeling and sensation in the trigeminal nerve in the face.

Symptoms Differ in Severity

The symptoms of acoustic neuroma may differ in severity and may develop gradually which may make the condition difficult to diagnose. A person suspecting of acoustic neuroma may have to undergo hearing test, a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan or a computerized tomography-CT scan.

This ailment tends to be more common in women than men, the reason for which is yet unknown and people within the age group of 40 and 60 years are more likely to get affected while in the case of children, this ailment is rare.

Acoustic neuroma grows slowly and does not spread from the original point of the tumor. At time, it is so small and grows gradually that it does not cause any symptoms or problems and in such case, the acoustic neuroma could only be monitored in order to avoid the risk associated with surgery.

Not a life Threatening Ailment

In some cases, the tumor tends to grow large enough to press on the brain though in most of the cases neuroma can be treated before they reach this stage through surgery to remove the tumor or through radiotherapy to destroy the tumor. This ailment is not a life threatening condition but the symptoms could disrupt the day to day activities and with the loss of hearing it could affect the person’s ability to communicate and interact with people.

Though the cause of this ailment it unknown, the only known risk factor in developing acoustic neuroma is having a very rare genetic condition known as neurofibromatosis type 2. It grows from a type of cell called Schwann cell, a nerve cover cell which helps in keeping them insulated.