ANA Discussion Forum
Watch and Wait => For those in the 'watch and wait' status => Topic started by: NVS on January 26, 2016, 11:56:25 pm
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Hi, I have joined ANA few months back. My husband (41 Y) was having AN in right ear: 4.2 x 3.4 mm in Aug 2014 (50% hearing loss, tinitus), 6.3 x 3.9 mm in May 2015 (with total hearing loss in AN ear, tinitus), 6 x 4 mm in Sept 2015 (total hearing loss, mild/no tinitus). Since the hearing was gone ENT suggested surgery in May 2015 with Translab approach but we said we will still watch n wait..He doesn't have any other problems, his tinitus was also almost stopped. We are going to repeat MRI in March 2016. Is there any corelation between the intensity of tinitus and size of AN?
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Hi NVS .....
Just a reminder, none of us on this forum are medical professionals, but we have much collective experience in dealing with acoustic neuroma.
That said, my feeling is there is no correlation between the intensity of tinnitus and the size of one's AN. Tinnitus can be present at any intensity level in any person, with or without an acoustic neuroma. Most often, tinnitus is the result of hearing loss from any cause ..... sort of like the brain filling in for missing frequencies.
However, I have perfectly normal hearing in my non-AN ear and have roaring tinnitus perceived in both ears.
Thoughts and prayers.
Clarice
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Thank you CHD63 for sharing your thoughts!
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I agree with Clarice's post with the same caveat that I am NOT medically trained in any way.
I also think the WW is a real good idea for someone in his situation. But then, I am also WW and a big proponent of it.
Many of us find our tinnitus vaies in intensity. That is not to say you should ignore any sudden change in it. Follow your Drs advice regarding changes in symptoms. I will also say that some Drs. do not support the idea of WW. If your current Dr is one of those people, you should consider finding another Dr as it could be stressful to have a Dr who thinks the solution to any question you may bring him is to cut you open.
WW is a legitimate approach for small tumors. Some of the most experienced, educated, and reputable Drs in this field believe WW can be the way to go for some patients. Some of the most pedestrian ENT's out there are eager to do surgery.