Chances of Acoustic Neuroma? Feeling Down

Alright, so I'm worried about an acoustic neuroma now.

Age 41
-Pulsatile Tinnitus back in early 2018. Cured by DAVF embolization surgery.
-Regular tinnitus since waking up from that surgery in April 2018.
-Had hearing test before the surgery with PT and actually came back really well. Was told I had great hearing.
-Had hearing test again months after the surgery. A little worse, but still not considered loss.
-Had appendectomy surgery a month ago... just before Thanksgiving.
-I had a hunch it was getting worse recently. Had a 3rd hearing test around a week or 2 ago and now I have mild to moderate loss in the left ear in the 4 kHz to 8 kHz range, 30 to 40 dB threshold.

Maybe it is the surgery that made it worse. I recall the embolization surgery first thing I noticed was ring after it was done. So maybe it heightened now after the appendectomy due to the anesthesia or whatever drugs they give for the surgery.

Anyway, after reading more and more about tinnitus, the more I'm worried it could be an acoustic neuroma. Especially since I probably had lots of radiation on my face/head during the embolization surgery.

ENT didn't mention acoustic neuroma. I do have some bouts of dizziness, but not often.

Just feeling really down about all this. Down about the high pitched ringing tinnitus and down about the hearing loss. Now fearing the worst.

Doug

 

Acoustic neuroma is a rare condition. That's not to say with any certainty you don't have it, just that you can worry yourself nuts minus a diagnosis. Tinnitus is much much much much more common.

I was tested for it partly because I had symptoms pointing in all kinds of different directions (Meniere's, Hydrops, what have you) and my ENT said frankly I can't slot you into any clear diagnosis, let's take a look for acoustic neuroma! It was ruled out.

The way they ruled it out was with an MRI, which many our friends here are fearful of because of the noise. My combination of shopping around for the (relatively) least-noise machine + hearing protection resulted in no aggravation of my tinnitus.

I'm very sorry to hear of your troubles, hang in there. I am not a doctor but I think some of us are just more susceptible to some events resulting in tinnitus, in my case after having a severe case of walking pneumonia (our best guess of what happened). I also rather doubt whatever radiation you were exposed to resulted in an acoustic-neuroma-related tumor a mere year+ later, but the only way to rule out this condition is with an MRI or a somewhat less accurate CT scan from what I understand. FWIW a friend of mine has had fully-blown Meniere's with extreme, falling-down-on-the-floor dizziness, but no acoustic neuroma.

But don't diagnose yourself. Ask a trained professional i.e. an ENT if this is on his or her radar for you.

 

Thanks @Chriscom
Hopefully I'm just gravitating towards the worst for no good reason. Though I feared DAVF, and that's what I had. Then I feared appendicitis recently, that's what I had.

My left eyelid is twitching some... same side as hearing loss. Not every day, but maybe every other day. Just for a few minutes at a time. I've read that can be a symptom of acoustic neuroma.

 

Ask your doc about it. S/he will most likely request an MRI to rule it out. ANs are pretty rare, though, so you have the odds on your side.

 

Which vessel was embolized and why?

It is extremely unlikely that someone has an acoustic neuroma in addition to an intracranial vascular disease.

That would be like having lice after treating fleas.

If an MRI was performed before the vascular treatment, an acoustic neuroma should be hard to miss.