The characteristic features of neurofibromatosis type 1 are difficulty walking, balance issues, problems with facial expressions, ringing in the ears or tinnitus, hearing loss that can begin as early as the teen years and dizziness.
You can tell the difference between NF1 and NF2 by where the tumors occur.
NF2 tumors primarily affect your auditory nerves which connect your ears to your brain and control hearing and people with NF2 also can develop tumors in the nerves of their body.
In NF1 the tumors occur in the small nerves of the skin and the large nerves inside the body.
NF1 tumors may feel like weakness on one side of the body or personality changes.
The NF1 tumors don't always cause any noticeable symptoms but the tumors in certain parts of the brain sometimes cause symptoms such as the weakness on one side of the body and changes in personality.
NF2 is worse than NF1 as most often the symptoms of NF1 are mild and most people that have NF1 are able to lead full and productive lives.
NF2's outlook will depend on the persons age at the start of the NF2 condition and the number and location of tumors and some can even be life threatening.
People that are most likely to get NF2 is people who has parents or a parent that has NF2.
NF2 is a rare disorder which affects both males and females in equal numbers and all races and ethnic groups are equally affected as well.
It's estimated that 1 in 33,000 people worldwide are affected by NF2 and the symptoms typically become apparent during puberty and also early adulthood.
You can live a normal life with NF2 as the majority of people that have NF2 lead and live normal lives.
Nearly all NF2 patients do eventually go deaf because the tumors grow on the nerves that are responsible for hearing.
Neurofibromas first appear around adolescence but, by age 30, almost all people with NF1 will have several (and some have hundreds).
Neurofibromatosis type 2 is life threatening as tumors that develop inside the brain and spinal cord can put a strain on your body and shorten your life expectancy.
Most people with neurofibromatosis type 2 eventually lose their hearing completely and some people require the use of a wheelchair or other type of mobility device to get around.
The cause of death of neurofibromatosis type 2 is tumor burden.
Tumor burden is the number of cancer cells, the size of a tumor or the amount of cancer that is in the body which is also called tumor load.
The age that NF2 starts is around 20 years of age although it may start sooner or later.
The life expectancy of someone with NF2 is between 10 to 20 years although some people with NF2 have longer as it can depend on the persons age and overall health.
The symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 2 include balance issues, problems with facial expressions, Tinnitus or ringing in the ears, hearing loss that can begin as early as the teen years and dizziness.
The signs and symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 2 will most often appear during adolescence or in a person's early twenties, although the symptoms can begin at any age.
Neurofibromatosis type 2, also called NF2-related schwannomatosis, is a hereditary condition that is most commonly associated with bilateral vestibular schwannomas that is also known as acoustic neuromas.
These tumors are benign (noncancerous) tumors that occur on the nerves for balance and hearing leading to the inner ear.
The life expectancy of a person with neurofibromatosis type 2 is between 10 years to 20 years depending on the persons age.
People with neurofibromatosis type 2 typically present with tumor-related symptoms around 20 years of age.
The most common intracranial tumor associated with NF2 is vestibular schwannoma which is typically bilateral in these people.
And these people typically present with tinnitus, sensorineural hearing loss, and balance problems.
The symptoms of NF1 are often mild, and people who have it are able to lead full and productive lives.
Sometimes, pain and deformity can lead to significant disability.
The NF2 outlook depends on your age at the start of the disease and on the number and location of tumors.
Some can be life-threatening.