An MRI is usually for rulling out some of the more serious causes of T. But these usually come with other with other symptoms as well.If your doctor thinks that in your case an MRI isnt needed he/she is probably right but if you want peace of mind then go fot it.

Here in the UK getting an MRI is free so most people who get reffered to an ENT specialist for T have one done as a matter of routine.

I would suggest before getting an MRI that you rule out hearing loss. Take a full battery of tests that include high frequency hearing, not just functional levels up to 4000 hz. Speech discrimination testing. Distortion product otoacoustic emission test (DPOE) for sensorineural hearing loss. This can be done with an audiologist or ENT. If you have positive reading on those tests you can probably rule out taking the MRI for an acoustic neuroma. They are extremely rare.

In response to Winterbridge 56, presence or absence of hearing loss is not the criterion upon which an ENT will order an MRI, especially here in the UK. An MRI is usually requested when there is hearing loss and/or tinnitus in one ear only. My hearing tests showed that I have what the ENT classed as 'perfect' hearing, but because I have unilateral tinnitus, he ordered an MRI anyway. They do this in order to rule out benign tumours such as acoustic neuroma, which can sometimes present with tinnitus only - although this is extremely rare.

Before I had any other tests other than a hearing test, my ENT ordered an MRI to rule out benign tumors and anything else that seemed abnormal. They found I had a vein in the wrong place, that could have been my problem. But the risks of the surgery would have been worse than the T.

I would ask for one.

A big hug to you and good luck,
Sandy

I had a visit with a psychiatrist today who was surprisingly familiar with T. He said the same thing as the ENT. My T is in both ears so it's a million to 1 chance of a tumor. He also said he'd order one if I wanted it.

I had the hearing test but I don't know what type it was. The results didn't show any hearing loss.

I guess I'll pass on the MRI. I had one about 3 years ago for seizures. I suppose they might have seen something back then if there was a problem.

I was given an MRI because I had T in only 1 ear. Did not ask for one the ENT did.