ALZI

[alzi]

Tumors in the ear region are rarely cancer. I don't want to say never, but.... Is it causing any symptoms other than her hearing losS?

Depending on the type of tumor they may not removed it. It will depend on the symptoms it is causing and the risk of removal (total hearing loss, affecting facial nerve, etc)

[alzi]

Oh. And they should know from her hearing test if the loss is caused by a tumor in the canal. are you sure it's in the canal? Or could it be in the middle ear? Or further in pressing on the auditory nerve?

[starburst604]

Does she have sudden unilateral hearing loss? They'll be checking for an acoustic neuroma. It's rare that the neuroma is the cause of the hearing loss (often it's a virus), and even rarer that a neuroma would be malignant. Has your mom tried and failed a round of oral or intra tympanic steroids? That's usually the frontline treatment for that kind of hearing loss (because it's usually caused by a virus), but it has to be done very soon after the hearing loss comes on to be effective.

Doctors usually do the MRI to rule it out in this situation, and even if they really are suspicious you mom has one, it's often something that is just left alone if discovered.

[starburst604]

*I'm not a doctor, but I've worked for ENT doctors for 13 years. Our staff is trained to be on the lookout for patients who call with sudden one-sided hearing loss because it's crucial that they come in ASAP for a hearing test and start steroids if they need them. Almost always an MRI follows, so I'm very familiar with her situation. In 13 years I've maybe seen one or two patients actually HAVE the neuroma? And I don't think they needed any treatment because it was benign. I hope this eases your worries a little!

[starburst604]

Sadly, a lot of people lose hearing in that ear permanently because a PCP or ER doc often diagnoses a Eustachian tube problem or an ear infection. By the time the problem gets sent to ENT that window for the steroids has passed. So if you ever wake up completely deaf in one ear, go straight to the ENT!

[alzi]

Sept 17, 2014 6:00:00 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

Sadly, a lot of people lose hearing in that ear permanently because a PCP or ER doc often diagnoses a Eustachian tube problem or an ear infection. By the time the problem gets sent to ENT that window for the steroids has passed. So if you ever wake up completely deaf in one ear, go straight to the ENT!

That drives me NUTS.

@smace does she have a copy of her hearing test?

[alzi]

Sept 17, 2014 7:25:59 GMT -5 @smace said:

alzi, I sent the results via FB message

Won't let me open it. Can you text it?