Do I really have acoustic neuroma? How should I treat it?

Have you noticed decreased hearing, ringing in your ear, pain or pressure in your ear, or headache? Do you feel unsteady when walking or have difficulty with your balance? Do parts of your face twitch, or feel numb or paralyzed? Do you feel decreased sensation in your eye?

Although the acoustic neuroma is among the most common brain tumors, the fact is that it is not a common ailment and afflicts only one out of every 100,000 people. As such, there is a dearth of information and medical study on the disease, even with regard to its most common treatments: radiation and surgery.

Acoustic neuroma sufferers will be heartened by the information available on this website: a detailed and illustrated explanation of what an acoustic neuroma is and where it is located, information about the signs and symptoms of an acoustic neuroma and its treatment, and a message board to discuss all the issues.

Perhaps most importantly, acoustic neuroma patients will find here others like themselves, suffering from the same affliction. Some of them will be newly-diagnosed for the disease. Others will be recovering from treatment. But all of them will be willing to share their experiences and knowledge to make things easier for the rest of us.

Acoustic neuroma patients need answers. Patients need to know with certainty what's better, radiation or surgery? What's the most accurate and precise form of radiation? Can radiation doses be decreased lower than the levels being used today? Can radiation doses be decreased to spare the nerves completely? Can radiation be repeated? Can more accurate MRIs of acoustic tumors be obtained? Can surgery be improved? AN patients need better medical research studies upon which to base their life-altering treatment decisions.