Understanding Fatigue in Acoustic Neuroma: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Manage It

Living with an acoustic neuroma doesn’t just affect your hearing or balance—it can completely drain your energy. Fatigue is one of those life-altering symptoms of AN, which is often misunderstood and sometime confused with tiredness. This blog breaks it down into three key areas:

1. What is fatigue?
2. Why does acoustic neuroma cause fatigue?
3. How can you manage fatigue effectively?

1. What Is Fatigue?

Fatigue isn’t the same as being tired. Tiredness comes after a long day or poor sleep and typically improves with rest. Fatigue is deeper, more complex, and persistent. It’s physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that doesn’t go away easily even after sleep.

People with fatigue often describe:

• Waking up unrefreshed
• Feeling like their body is “heavy” or slowed down
• Struggling to concentrate (also known as “brain fog” read more about brain fog here)
• Needing significantly more rest than usual

Some days, even the smallest acts—like brushing your teeth or getting dressed—can feel like running a marathon. It’s not that you’re just sleepy; it feels like your body has no fuel left. You just want to lie down and do nothing. And that’s not laziness—that’s fatigue in its truest form.

Fatigue can last for weeks, months, or even years. And for people living with a tumour like Acoustic Neuroma, it often becomes a daily reality.

2. Why Does Acoustic Neuroma Cause Fatigue?

Fatigue in AN is a neurological, physical, and emotional response to the unique challenges this condition brings. Here’s why it happens:

Your brain is constantly compensating

Your vestibular system—responsible for balance—is impaired. That means your brain is in overdrive, trying to keep you upright and oriented. Even sitting in a brightly lit room can be exhausting.

This leads to:

• Constant sensory overload
• Vestibular brain fog
• Mental and physical exhaustion

Hearing loss increases cognitive load

AN often damages the hearing nerve on one side. Your brain has to work much harder to process sound and understand speech, especially in noisy settings. This extra listening effort depletes your mental energy quickly.

Balance problems drain the body

Even standing or walking can feel like a workout. Your muscles and reflexes are constantly trying to stabilize your body. This physical strain can lead to whole-body fatigue, even from low-level activity.

Tumour pressure and brain changes

The acoustic neuroma can press against critical areas like the brainstem or cerebellum, which are involved in alertness, coordination, and energy regulation. It may also disrupt neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, contributing to fatigue and emotional flatness.

Emotional and psychological stress

Being diagnosed with a brain tumour—even a benign one—brings fear, uncertainty, and long-term emotional strain. Constant anxiety and the effort to “hold it together” adds another invisible layer of fatigue.

Treatment effects

Whether you’ve had surgery or radiation, recovery takes time. Healing uses a lot of energy, and many patients report lingering fatigue for weeks or even months after treatment. This is normal and expected.

3. How to Manage Fatigue with Acoustic Neuroma

I am not a doctor or medical expert but I am a patient. And like many of you, I have lived through the confusing, exhausting, and often invisible symptoms that come with acoustic neuroma. Over time, I have learned to manage them not just through appointments and scans, but by reading, researching, and most importantly talking to others who truly understand. What I share here is a lived experience. And if any part of my journey can help make yours a little easier, then sharing it is more than worth it.

There’s no quick fix, but you can manage fatigue by building personal strategies that works with your body—not against it. Here are some strategies that might help:

Track your fatigue

Keep a diary. Note your sleep, daily activities, and energy patterns. Over time, you’ll spot triggers and trends—helping you anticipate crashes and plan better.

Apply the “marginal gains” principle

Improve one small thing at a time—better sleep, less screen time before bed, regular hydration. These small 1% improvements add up to a big impact.

Pace yourself

Plan your day in chunks. Alternate between active tasks and rest. Avoid waiting until you feel exhausted to stop—take breaks proactively.

Try the “3-activity rule”: one physical, one mental, and one restful task per day.

Move gently and regularly

Short walks, stretching, or simple vestibular exercises help build stamina without overwhelming your system. Movement also improves circulation, balance, and mood.

Eat and hydrate wisely

Choose energy-stable meals with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. Stay hydrated. Avoid sugar spikes and late caffeine, which can disrupt sleep and energy.

Create a low-stimulus environment

Bright lights, screens, and background noise increase fatigue. Use dim lighting, noise-canceling headphones, or take “quiet timeouts” throughout the day.

Ask for help

Make a list of tasks that drain you, then see which ones can be simplified, delegated, or skipped altogether. It’s okay to lean on loved ones. Fatigue isn’t laziness—it’s real, and help is part of healing.

Accept, don’t fight

You didn’t choose this fatigue, but you can choose how you respond. Acceptance means working with your limits, not resenting them. That shift in mindset often leads to more peace and less crash-and-burn.

Remember, you are not alone. Fatigue is one of the most misunderstood symptoms of acoustic neuroma, but it’s also one of the most common. Whether you are navigating daily life post-diagnosis or recovering from treatment, know this:

You are not weak. You are adapting to something incredibly complex and that takes strength.

Start small. Track your patterns. Rest without guilt. And celebrate each day you show up for yourself, and your healing.