Concerned about hearing, caring for health

  Deafness is often thought of as a sign of aging, and even if it affects communication with others, most people just buy a hearing aid and wear it. However, excluding the aging of the auditory organs, many people overlook “auditory neuroma” as a disease that affects hearing.  Auditory neuromas occur in the vestibular nerve with sheaths in the inner ear auditory canal or in the inner ear auditory canal area, accounting for 80% of pontocerebellar horn tumors and 5% to 10% of intracranial tumors. The disease mostly occurs in middle-aged people aged 30~50 years old, the youngest patient is 8 years old and the oldest is over 70 years old.  When it comes to brain tumor, people will think that the disease is very serious. In fact, it is not. The onset of auditory neuroma is calm and slow, and the symptoms of tinnitus are very common, but it is slowly threatening the health of patients, and it is very easy to be misdiagnosed. In addition to the aging of the auditory organs, auditory neuroma is also an important factor in deafness.  The earliest symptom of auditory neuroma is tinnitus on the affected side. As the disease progresses, it may manifest as progressive deafness and dizziness, and finally complete hearing loss; facial numbness, shallow nasolabial fold, hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing, unstable gait, etc.; in the late stage of the disease, headache may worsen, vomiting, vision loss, etc.  Therefore, for early detection of auditory neuroma, it is necessary to pay attention to symptoms such as tinnitus or hearing loss. Sometimes, consultation in ENT alone often delays the disease, and imaging examinations should be conducted early to clarify the diagnosis.  ”Many patients believe that success in microsurgical or radiosurgical treatment of auditory neuroma means rapid recovery, no complications, and no recurrence. Unfortunately, this is not the case.  Currently, there are four treatment goals for auditory neuroma: first, partial removal of the tumor; second, complete removal of the tumor; third, complete removal of the tumor and preservation of facial and auditory nerve function; and fourth, stopping the growth of the tumor without affecting the patient’s quality of life.  Currently, the second treatment goal is more common. In this case, even if the patient develops facial paralysis or is unable to work after surgery, the treatment can be considered successful as long as the tumor is completely resected. Excellent neurosurgeons often pursue the third treatment goal, however, even patients who achieve the third treatment goal may experience complications such as easy fatigue, memory and concentration impairment, vertigo and persistent headache, which can lead to a reduced quality of life.  Only with a thorough understanding of the treatment options and possible complications of auditory neuroma and their management can one work well with the surgeon to achieve a satisfactory outcome.