Suspect AN...am I being paranoid?

[BJC]

I have been reading your posts and debating whether to post or not, as I don't know if I have an AN. I just have a hunch.
My question is: I can feel a small lump in my ear...I's not skin-related, but kind of inside (toward the back) of my ear canal. I thought it was cartilage, but it seems a little bigger than when I first discovered it. I haven't read anything about anyone acutally being able to feel their AN.

Anyway, 2 weeks ago, I felt this same ear (left) clog up, as it has in the past when I was on an airplane (I have not changed altitude). It never unclogged and I'm having problems hearing. I don't really have headaches or dizziness, but my balance seems a little off when rising from sitting or lying down. Also, the ear is not painful, but I did have a few sharp pains in it last night that didn't last long.

I'm hoping that I'm being paranoid. I know I have to go to my primary care and be referred to an ENT. Any recommendations beyond that?

Thanks for your time,
Beverly

[amymeri]

Hi Beverly

I think it is unlikely that the bump you are feeling is an acoustic neuroma. The AN tumor is found inside the skull, on Cranial Nerve 8.  In order to access this from the ear you would have to go through the ear drum, past the inner ear and into the internal auditory canal.  Anything you could be feeling would be inside your external auditory canal, and that could NOT be an acoustic.  Now, unrelated, hearing loss and a sense of fullness could be an acoustic neuroma, but I am a primary care provider, and in my experience you are much more likely to be experiencing an infection, eustachian tube dysfunction, mild labynthitis or some other condition that is much less serious.

So, I would go see your doctor who will be able to look in your ear and probably tell you right away.  If not an ENT can arrange a hearing test and exam.

Good Luck!

[Windsong]

Hi beverly,

Well, first of all how long have you had these symptoms/problems you mention?

(i do hope you have an ENT appointment lined up)... it's always good to have things checked by someone who may know what is going on.

you say you can feel this "thing" inside? some people do feel things in their bodies that shouldn't be there.... from your description however it doesn't sound quite right for an An....yet you are feeling something as you say...

then again, from my own understanding,  An's can grow on more than the 8th nerve as some have said here, (i mean it's a scwhanoma right? sorry sp.)  and they cover all sorts of places as it is a schwann cell ... also it really does matter where the darn thing begins and where it is positioned and what direction it can grow in as the insides of one's head and nerves are really delicate at the same time they are enormously strong and resilient, and thank god they are so strong....

 i think you  are best off seeing a really good neurotologist and have an mri if you haven't already had one.. then you will have some answers that can point the way for resolving your situation.

all the best,
windsong

[amymeri]

Just to be clear an Acoustic Neuroma or schwanoma is specific to the 8th nerve.  There are schwanomas of other nerves but those would be facial schwanomas, trigeminal schwanomas or labeled something else.

Amy

[Windsong]

Hi Amy,

How are you doing now? I hope a lot better with much improvement since your op a few months ago. I remember you said your tumour surrounded the facial nerve etc. is this the same as the nerve in the discussion about where ans start? Or did your tumour start somewhere and then go and wrap around the facial nerve?

It's really amazing how many symptoms and intricacies happen with an acoustic neuroma. No wonder there are these "offshoots " of symptoms.

Perhaps it doesn't really matter where Ans(labelled acoustic neuromas) begin in terms of symptoms and treatment, as some of those nerves and their offshoots are mighty close together. The good thing is that there are great treatment choices available that halt or stall these Ans.

It's a bit of a puzzle perhaps for anyone's docs to say for sure where exactly one's An began? I see symptoms that can be attributed to many of the nerves travelling up from from the brain stem to many areas of the head including the internal auditory canal, Maybe they do all begin in one place and then as they grow or exert pressure they affect all the other nerves depending on the person/where they began/how small or big they are/ and what subsidiary nerves they touch.

Perhaps some day soon, research will give us all answers that are even more specific than they are now.

All the best,
Windsong

[BJC]

First of all, thank you for the replies. I noticed the small lump in my ear a few months ago and Ive had the the clogged hearing for 2 weeks. I developed hypertension  about 1 1/2 years ago for no apparent reason and am on meds for that. Seems like everything is falling apart.

I need to go back to my primary care doc soon and will mention this to him. At very least, I would like to see an ENT and go from there.

Thanks again for the advice.

Regards,
Beverly

[HeadCase2]

BJC,
  As someone mentioned, it's doubtful that you have an AN. An AN is a tumor found further inside the head behind the hearing structures, so you wouldn't be able to feel an AN with your finger.   But there are many conditions that can affect the outer ear, malignant and benign.  Try to get an ENT appointment as soon as you can.  Hopefully it's not serious.
Regards,
 Rob