Hearing Loss

[Vivian B.]

Hi Everybody,

It's only been one month since I was diagnosed but I noticed in the past week that it seems that I am hearing less from the affected ear and I have had an earache since last night. Does anyone know if hearing deteriorates overtime even with no growth, or does this mean that there has been growth in the last month? I forgot to ask the surgeons this question. Should I be reporting it?

Vivian
 

[Keri]

Hi Vivian,
My hearing loss was gradual and accompanied by fullnes and stuffiness in the ear, and sometimes pain, but that was off and on. But these symptoms led to treatments that didn't work (antibiotics, etc) and when that didn't work, finally the MRI that showed the AN. Since my hearng loss was gradual, I don't know if it got worse and if that was a sign of growth. You should tell the doctors about the hearing loss (but it seems they would also do hearing tests??) I think that people sometimes choose radiation over translab (for example) depending on how much good hearing they have in their bad ear, or makes choices on type of surgeries depending on hearing loss. I don't know how frequently they are monitoring you, but this would seem an important detail for the doctors to know about.
Keri

[Vivian B.]

Hi Keri,

Thanks for replying. I already had hearing loss that showed on a hearing test. I am on watch and wait. My next MRI is in  Sep.09. My symptoms are similar to yours. The only thing is I don't know if it's my imagination or not but my hearing seems worse in the last week.

Vivian

[sgerrard]

Does anyone know if hearing deteriorates overtime even with no growth, or does this mean that there has been growth in the last month?

Hearing can deteriorate without the AN actually growing in size. It is just as significant a development, though. Besides waiting for signs of growth, you also wait for increasing symptoms. In my case, and others, the progression of symptoms was the reason for getting treatment, rather than growth in size. Even if it isn't getting bigger, the tumor can have an increasing effect on nerves over time.

Steve

[Vivian B.]

Hi Steve,

That makes sense because I wouldn't think that it would grow in one month. But then I would also think that the Drs. know that this deterioration occurs, why would they put me on watch and wait.

Vivian

[Syl]

Vivian:

Inflamation of the tumor can cause further nerve damage. That's what one neurosurgeon told me. So I opted to have the darn thing removed.

Syl

[Vivian B.]

Thanks Syl,

If my symptoms continue or worsen, I will contact my Dr.

Vivian

[Esperanza]

Hi,
As they are vascular in nature they can get upset very easily... unfortunately no-one seems to know what it is exactly that does
this so there's not a lot we can practically do about it - my specialist said noise or movement can cause problems (that is of course before the hearing loss occurs)  not sure that is a helpful thing to be told after the event though...   

[mk]

Hi Vivian,

Brain tumors can cause direct damage to the nerve, or indirect by disrupting the flow of blood, thus starving the nerve. This damage may happen even if the tumor is not growing. The other cause for damage is the so called "tumor related edema", i.e. inflammation of the surrounding structures.
The doctors know that there is a big possibility for these to occur while watching and waiting, but they also know that you may not be better off after removing or radiating the tumor, as the hearing loss may happen anyway.

Very often hearing loss can be reversed, if caught early. Fluctuations in hearing and distortion are not uncommon either. When I experienced by first sudden hearing loss a month after I was diagnosed, I was kind of resigned to it, as in "oh well I have an AN, this is expected". My husband was the one who convinced me to contact the doctor right away. Sure enough, the doctor prescribed steroids and hearing was saved (at least for now  ).
Recently I felt some "fullness" and some slight hearing loss (I have my own hearing test by asking hubby to speak to me on the phone - his frequencies are the ones that I have most difficulty with). I took 400 mgs of ibuprophen 3 times a day for 3 days, and the symptoms resolved.

I would say that you should contact your doctor ASAP if your symptoms continue.

Marianna

[Vivian B.]

Thank you Esperanza and Marianna,

I will call the Dr. next week if symptoms persist.

Vivian

[wendysig]

Vivian -
You should contact your doctor immediately if you are experiencing further hearing loss.  He will probably start you on a course of steroids that may  (or may not) help bring you hearing level back to where is was.  Hearing loss doesn't necessarily indicate growth as the others have said, but I remember my doc telling me that an AN doesn't have to grow measurably  to take out your hearing.

Wendy