Acoustic Neuroma: Symptoms & Treatment Options

If you are experiencing hearing loss and having trouble with balance, you could be suffering from an acoustic neuroma. Your ENT specialist can help. The ENT specialists and audiologists at Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists of Connecticut provide a wide range of ENT services, including diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuroma. They have three convenient office locations in Hamden, Madison, and Milford, CT.

What You Need To Know About Acoustic Neuroma

Neuromas can develop in many areas of the body. They are thickened areas of tissue that put pressure on a nerve. An acoustic neuroma is a unique type of neuroma that develops along the vestibular nerve, which is the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain.

An acoustic neuroma develops in the Schwann cells covering the vestibular nerve and is also known as a vestibular schwannoma. An acoustic neuroma can cause symptoms associated with the ears, including:

• Hearing loss
• Tinnitus
• Dizziness
• Balance difficulties
• Facial numbness

You should visit your ENT specialist if you notice any of the signs or symptoms listed above, especially if the hearing loss is only in one ear. Your ENT specialist may recommend various methods to diagnose an acoustic neuroma, including:

Hearing tests

Imaging studies, such as MRI or CT scan
Treatment for an acoustic neuroma may vary depending on the size of the neuroma, how fast it is growing, and how severe your symptoms are. Monitoring is usually the initial treatment. If the neuroma is not growing or is causing minimal symptoms, monitoring is the most conservative choice. Hearing tests and imaging are typically scheduled at 6-to-12-month intervals.

Surgery may be indicated if the neuroma is growing, is very large, or is causing significant symptoms. Acoustic neuroma surgery is performed under general anesthesia. Radiation therapy may also be recommended to treat an acoustic neuroma if the neuroma is small or if surgery is contraindicated for health reasons.

Want To Know More?

To find out more about the symptoms and treatment of acoustic neuroma, call the ENT specialists and audiologists at Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists of Connecticut. You can reach them at:

• Hamden, CT, by calling (203)-248-8409
• Madison, CT, by calling (203)-245-5899
• Milford, CT, by calling (203)-876-1159

Call today.