My tinnitus could be a brain tumor

[Anonymous]

I've posted here before to try and find a solution to the tinnitus I would sometimes have.

Facts:

--Five years ago, I visited several doctors regarding the tinnitus. The GP said allergies. A functional doctor said a tight SCM muscle. The ENT said I had excellent hearing and not to worry about it.
--I rarely attended concerts due to sensitive ears. When I did, I wore ear protection.
--The tinnitus came and went repeatedly. I still thought it was related to concerts, excessive ear wax, or allergies (all things doctors had told me before)...

Recently: After a stressful time, eating salty processed foods (more than usual), and not drinking enough water, I experienced hearing loss to a great scale.

The doctor followed the typical medical protocol. Meanwhile, my hearing test showed nerve damage.

This could be due to a tumor or Meniere's Disease, and I won't get my lost hearing back.

I want to find a way to encourage doctors not to dismiss ear problems as merely "allergies." If this had been caught before--and if it is a tumor--the tumor could have been removed and prevented hearing loss. If it's Meniere's, then they say nothing can be done.

In the current way of doing things, the medical world waits until you lose hearing and then decides to help.

Question:

As a potential tumor patient, what would be ways to encourage a different way of diagnosing patients? I would like this not to happen to other people.

Suggestion:

If you have tinnitus, I'd recommend requesting a MRI -- especially if the tinnitus is in ONE ear and not two.

I'm extra sensitive because my friend had her issue called "allergies." At one of the best US hospitals, they took a scan and found a tumor, so I admit I have my opinions about this diagnostic process or lack thereof.

[Anonymous]

The likely culprit in one side tinnitus is acoustic neuroma , tumor of the 8th cranial nerve. It’s not malignant but can kill you if it grows.

[Anonymous]

+1 to acoustic neuroma.
My DH went to the ENT last year because he felt he had some hearing loss in one ear. They promptly sent him for an MRI to see whether it was due to neuroma. It’s a benign tumor but it can be a PITA to remove.

[Anonymous]

Did you have an MRI op? did they find any tumors

I have 4 brain tumors - not acoustic neuromas though

[Anonymous]

I hope my experience gives you some reassurance. I had mild tinnitus for a few months followed by sudden complete one-sided deafness. My MRI turned up no acoustic neuroma. It sucks to lose hearing but I was relieved to not need surgery. What I learned from my ENT, audiologist and the FB support groups I joined is most people do not have a tumor but they do have to investigate. Generally it remains unexplained and is chalked up to a virus or auto-immune issue. Like you, most people seem to get bad advice from their PCPs before finally making their way to an ENT. It is considered a medical emergency to lose hearing and quick intervention with oral steroids and injections can on occasion restore it. In my case, I was seen immediately but my hearing didn’t return.

[Anonymous]

I’m the first reply person here mentioning acoustic neuroma . I’ve had tinnitus for 25 years now. For about 22 of those years it was only one ear so they suspected that but they can’t really mri my head because of a metallic object in my cheek (long story) . I got two conflicting reports, one thst they could determine there wasn’t one, the other they couldn’t tell. All those medical records got lost during a hurricane . A few years ago at work fire alarms were constantly going off and we had to work through them as they were tests and it causes tinnitus in my right ear. I saw an audiologist and I still only had hearing loss in my left ear and by memory it didn’t seem to be any worse than in 1998. Tinnitus Is annoying

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who had a brain tumor and just had brain surgery. It wouldn’t be going on for 5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who had a brain tumor and just had brain surgery. It wouldn’t be going on for 5 years.

What do you mean? I’ve had tinnitus since 1998. It doesn’t go away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope my experience gives you some reassurance. I had mild tinnitus for a few months followed by sudden complete one-sided deafness. My MRI turned up no acoustic neuroma. It sucks to lose hearing but I was relieved to not need surgery. What I learned from my ENT, audiologist and the FB support groups I joined is most people do not have a tumor but they do have to investigate. Generally it remains unexplained and is chalked up to a virus or auto-immune issue. Like you, most people seem to get bad advice from their PCPs before finally making their way to an ENT. It is considered a medical emergency to lose hearing and quick intervention with oral steroids and injections can on occasion restore it. In my case, I was seen immediately but my hearing didn’t return.

Thank you. I was given steroids but I’m almost done with those and nothing is different.

I’d be fine with having the neuroma, because at least it could be removed and prevent further damage.

I’d rather have the neuroma and be deaf in one ear than have Meniere’s and go deaf in both ears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who had a brain tumor and just had brain surgery. It wouldn’t be going on for 5 years.

Please ignore this, everyone. This is incorrect.

Plenty of people with AN reported symptoms to doctors and were ignored. You can read patient histories at the scientific AN websites and membership society.

OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend who had a brain tumor and just had brain surgery. It wouldn’t be going on for 5 years.

This is a completely ignorant and unhelpful response. There are people who do not have surgery for many, many years after their brain tumors are discovered. This is because there are many types of tumor and sizes and side effects. One friend is not a statistic. But I hope they recover quickly PP.

[Anonymous]

I had acoustic neuroma a while back and unfortunately this rare tumor is becoming more common. To answer your Q, I think an MRI with contrast (this is key) would be useful

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you had bad doctors. The first doctor I saw about my tinnitus ordered an MRI.

[Anonymous]

I went to an ENT about very sporadic ringing in one ear and had perfect hearing test results. Should I go back and insist on an MRI? They mentioned nothing about an acoustic neuroma possibility, only that it might be some fluid imbalance.

[Anonymous]

You are awfully far down the path of thinking you have a tumor when there is no specific evidence of that.