Life Expectancy Of Someone With Acoustic Neuroma

Although acoustic neuromas are a non-cancerous tumor, yet they considerably influence the quality of life. Regardless of the treatment and surgery, the common symptoms such as hearing loss and tinnitus can persist throughout their lifetime.

The causes of death and after side effects in acoustic neuroma surgery are of crucial significance in any attempt to improve the therapy of the tumor. The growth of small size tumors progresses slowly however when the patients are diagnosed with this condition, they undergo severe trauma and anxiety. Nevertheless, there is a range of treatments for treating this condition.¹

Acoustic neuromas are benign tumors which can be cured completely when diagnosed early. However, conditions that are left untreated can cause serious neurological problems even resulting in permanent facial paralysis leading to losing vision and brain damage. In the most severe cases, it eventually results in death as well. Therefore, this condition requires immediate attention and proper treatment.

The treatment of acoustic neuroma does not end up with surgeries and radiation therapies but follow-up care is more crucial to have a better lifestyle. Patient’s quality of life after Acoustic Neuroma (AN) reported very really disabling symptoms especially the hearing loss problem. A survey was conducted in a group of 231 patients and the aim of the study to assess the patient’s quality of life.

The results showed that quality of life after acoustic neuromas was worsened in the case of female patients and also in patients who were 45 and above. Surgery was the primary reason for these conditions. The studies concluded that early approach in the treatment had better results than waiting for the tumor to increase in size and later perform the surgery. The conditions generally deteriorated with age. During these cases, your doctors may recommend for vestibular exercises.⁴

Acoustic neuroma is often difficult to diagnose in their initial stages because of the reduced signs and symptoms. This condition shows slow progress in its early phases but later develop gradually over time. When individuals are diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, they face typical signs such as a problem with recognizing speech often a hearing loss in the middle and inner ear. Your health care provider will then suggest for the following tests

Hearing Tests (Audiogram) – Once we suspect an acoustic neuroma, there are methods and techniques, you doctor will use to confirm or rule out the presence of this condition. The traditional audiometry is the most effective diagnostic test for acoustic neuroma. Audiometry tests are often successful in finding high-frequency hearing loss.

Imaging- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an accomplished phenomenon in delivering high-quality images of the disorder of the internal auditory canal and cerebellopontine angle. Magnetic Resonance Imaging has become a vital part of the initial screening, evaluation, and follow-up of patients treated with both surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery. Doctors perhaps consider this diagnosing as a sensitive alternative to tumor detection²

Electronystagmography- This is a sensitive, reliable, objective and valuable method of investigating the vestibular system in individuals suspected with acoustic neuroma. Electronystagmography will illustrate the movement of your eyes and helps you to determine whether the two cranial nerves within your brain are functioning properly. In a nutshell, it records the movement of eyes to check the functionality of eye and ear nerves.

Auditory Brainstem Response-This testing is performed to determine the sensitivity of the nerves. It measures the hearing nerves response to sound and brainstem function. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing has been regarded as one of the excellent audio logic examinations in the diagnosis of acoustic neuromas. However, they haven’t shown proven results in the detection of the small tumor. In such cases, magnetic resonance imaging is considered to be a more sensitive test.³

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Also Read:

• Home Remedies For Acoustic Neuroma
• Is Acoustic Neuroma Surgery Dangerous & How Long Is The Surgery?
• What Is The Average Size Of An Acoustic Neuroma & Does Hearing Return After The Surgery?
• Is Acoustic Neuroma A Disability?
• What Is The Prognosis For Acoustic Neuroma & Can It Cause Neck Pain?
• How Common Is Acoustic Neuroma Or Is It A Rare Disease?
• How Do You Stop Acoustic Neuroma From Spreading?