In order for you to hear, the ear has to process incoming sound waves from the air. To do this, it transforms the sound waves into electrical impulses that are relayed to the brain. The eighth cranial nerve connects the inner ear to the brain. Sometimes a benign tumor forms on this nerve. The tumor grows very slowly but will cause dizziness, hearing noises in your ear and a gradual loss of hearing. If not treated it can result in compression of the facial nerve thereby weakening the muscles that control facial expression.
To diagnose whether or not this tumor is present, an audiometry will probably be required. In an audiometry you will be seated in a soundproof room. Headphones will be placed over your ears. You will then listen to sounds that will increase in both frequency and volume. A list of words will also be dictated to you to test whether you are able to distinguish between words that sound alike such as teach and peach. In addition you may be given a magnetic resonance imaging test commonly called a MRI. During this test you lie on a table that is transported through a machine containing a radio wave transmitter and a large magnet. The machine produces pictures of the body part being scanned.
Another test that may also be used is a CT or computed tomography scan of your head. Again you lie on a table that slides into a machine however inside narrow x ray beams are sent through your body. A rotating camera collects the beams and transmits them to a computer. The computer then produces cross sectional pictures of the body part being scanned. Once the tumor has been identified it must be surgically removed. One radiation treatment is given following the surgery.
Another growth that causes ear problems is a cholesteatoma. This is formed by an overgrowth of the skin of the eardrum into the middle ear. If left untreated the cyst like structure can continue to grow and eventually damage the tiny bones the middle ear. It can also become infected. There is some genetic connection as some people are born with the tendency to have cholesteatomas. However, they can also be caused by recurring ear infections or eustachian tube blockages. Symptoms of a cholesteatoma are similar to those of an acoustic neuroma. They include ear pain, loss of hearing, dizziness, a feeling of pressure in the ear and the drainage of pus from the ear.
An untreated cholesteatoma can also cause weakness and paralysis of the facial muscles. Cholesteatomas are typically treated by otolaryngologists. If an infection is present it will be treated by various medications. Minor or major surgery will be performed to remove the cholesteatoma completely. If any of the tiny ear bones or the eardrum is damaged, surgical procedures to reconstruct them will also be required. These surgeries require a hospital stay and are usually performed under general anesthesia. Unfortunately, cholesteatomas have a tendency to recur. So if a person has had one, they need to have their ears examined annually for any sign of recurrence.
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