{"id":4784,"date":"2019-09-06T08:52:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T08:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/?p=4784"},"modified":"2020-11-13T18:00:15","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T18:00:15","slug":"what-is-an-acoustic-neuroma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/what-is-an-acoustic-neuroma\/","title":{"rendered":"What is An Acoustic Neuroma?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Most cases of hearing loss in San Rafael can be attributed to aging or noise exposure, but certain medical conditions may also play a role. An acoustic neuroma can cause hearing impairment, tinnitus, dizziness and other symptoms.<\/p>\n<h2>Benign Tumor Can Affect Hearing and Balance<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"slow-growing, benign tumor\" src=\"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/growth-plant-.jpg\" alt=\"Child holding a plant \" width=\"472\" height=\"314\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4785\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Also known as a vestibular schwannoma, an <a title=\"Acoustic Neuroma Symptoms and Causes | Mayo Clinic\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/acoustic-neuroma\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20356127\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">acoustic neuroma<\/a> is a slow-growing, benign tumor that grows on the vestibular nerve, responsible for balance. Though non-cancerous, acoustic neuromas can grow large enough to press against the brainstem, a potentially life-threatening complication.<\/p>\n<p>There are two types of acoustic neuromas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Unilateral acoustic neuromas<\/strong>. These affect only one ear and are the most common type. They can affect people of all ages, but the majority of patients are between the ages of 30 and 60. The exact cause is unknown, but theories include noise exposure, head and neck radiation and cellphone use. None of these have been proven.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bilateral acoustic neuromas<\/strong>. This type affects both ears and is considerably rarer. There is a genetic component\u2014a defect on chromosome 22 that causes neurofibromatosis-2 (NF2). A child with a parent carrying this chromosomal defect has a 50 percent chance of developing a bilateral acoustic neuroma.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some experts believe both types are the result of gene defects, but posit that unilateral acoustic neuromas occur following an acquired mutation, whereas the bilateral type is inherited.<\/p>\n<h2>Acoustic Neuroma Symptoms<\/h2>\n<p>Symptoms of acoustic neuromas include the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Single-sided <a href=\"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/hearing\/hearing-loss\/hearing-loss-causes\/\" title=\"Hearing Loss Causes | San Francisco Audiology\">hearing loss<\/a> (mainly affecting the higher frequencies)<\/li>\n<li>Congestion or fullness in the ear<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/tinnitus\/tinnitus-overview\/\" title=\"Tinnitus Overview | San Francisco Audiology\">Tinnitus<\/a> (ringing in the ear)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/balance\/balance-disorders\/\" title=\"Balance Disorders | San Fransisco Audiology\">Dizziness<\/a> or vertigo<\/li>\n<li>Unsteadiness\/loss of balance<\/li>\n<li>Facial tingling and numbness<\/li>\n<li>Headaches and disorientation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Treatment for an acoustic neuroma depends on a number of factors including size of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/cancer\/brain-cancer\/qa\/what-is-a-tumor\" title=\"What is a tumor | Web MD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tumor<\/a>, growth rate and the patient&#8217;s age and overall health. In many cases, physicians will abide by the patient&#8217;s wishes. If the tumor is small and slow-growing, regular observation may be sufficient. Regular checkups and occasional MRIs will help doctors monitor growth and look for additional symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>Larger tumors affecting the brainstem or causing more serious side effects may be surgically removed. Several procedures are available, depending on the patient&#8217;s specific condition and symptoms. Options include craniotomy and stereotactic radiosurgery.<\/p>\n<p>Hearing and balance rehabilitation are often required following acoustic neuroma removal. Permanent hearing loss and facial nerve damage are possible complications. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are helpful long-term solutions for many patients who experience long-term hearing loss.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about acoustic neuromas, contact an ear specialist in San Rafael.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most cases of hearing loss in San Rafael can be attributed to aging or noise exposure, but certain medical conditions may also play a role. An acoustic neuroma can cause hearing impairment, tinnitus, dizziness and other symptoms. Benign Tumor Can Affect Hearing and Balance Also known as a vestibular schwannoma, an acoustic neuroma is a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"415-362-2901 San Rafael | An acoustic neuroma is a slow-growing, benign tumor that can cause hearing impairment, tinnitus, dizziness and other symptoms.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","locid":"","rating":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4784"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4784"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5173,"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4784\/revisions\/5173"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sfaudiology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}