Acoustic neuroma: signs, diagnosis and hearing support
An acoustic neuroma is a rare, non-cancerous growth on the nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. The first sign is usually hearing loss or tinnitus in one ear. Most grow slowly, and many need monitoring rather than treatment.
A slow-growing growth on the hearing nerve.
An acoustic neuroma, also called a vestibular schwannoma, grows from the cells that wrap around the balance and hearing nerve, inside the narrow channel that runs from the inner ear to the brain. It is benign, which means it is not cancer and does not spread to other parts of the body.
As it grows, it can press on the hearing and balance nerves, which is why the early signs are in one ear. Most grow slowly over years, and some stop growing altogether. Larger ones can press on nearby nerves, including the nerve that gives feeling to the face.
Wax, infection and inner ear problems are far more common. A scan is a precaution.
A clear difference between your ears on a hearing test usually leads to a GP referral for an MRI.
Possible signs of an acoustic neuroma.
These can all have other, more common causes. Tick any that apply.
A full hearing test compares your ears accurately. If there is a significant difference, we write to your GP with the results and recommend a referral.
How it is diagnosed.
Acoustic neuromas are usually found because someone has a hearing test that shows one ear is clearly worse than the other, without an obvious cause. Guidance in the UK is that this should lead to an MRI scan of the inner ear and hearing nerve.
The MRI is a painless scan that gives a detailed picture of the nerve. Most people referred this way have a normal scan. If an acoustic neuroma is found, you will be referred to a specialist team, often based at a regional neuro-otology centre, to discuss what happens next.
How it is treated.
- Watch and scan: small, slow-growing neuromas are often monitored with regular MRI scans, with no treatment unless they grow.
- Radiosurgery: highly focused radiation stops the growth in many cases, without open surgery.
- Surgery: larger growths, or those causing pressure, may be removed by a specialist surgical team.
Treatment aims to control the growth and protect the facial nerve. Hearing in the affected ear may be reduced, either by the neuroma itself or by treatment, so hearing support is an important part of life afterwards.
Spotting the signs, and support afterwards.
A full hearing test measures each ear separately, so a one-sided difference is picked up.
If the results show an unexplained difference, we write to your GP with the results and recommend a referral.
If you are left with reduced hearing on one side, a hearing aid or CROS system can make conversations much easier.
One-sided tinnitus is common. We include tinnitus assessment and advice in every hearing test.
Get medical help quickly if
- Your hearing in one ear drops suddenly
- You develop weakness or drooping on one side of your face
- You have severe headaches with vomiting or changes in vision
Sudden hearing loss should be seen the same day. Call 999 if you have signs of a stroke, such as face, arm or speech changes.
Frequently asked questions.
No. It is a benign growth, which means it is not cancer and does not spread. It can still cause symptoms by pressing on nearby nerves.
They are rare. Most people with hearing loss in one ear have a different cause, such as wax, fluid or an inner ear problem.
A hearing test cannot show the growth itself, but it can show the one-sided pattern of hearing loss that leads doctors to arrange an MRI scan.
It depends on the size of the growth and the treatment. Some people keep useful hearing, others lose hearing on that side. Hearing aids and CROS systems can help.
Often not. Many small acoustic neuromas are monitored with regular scans and only treated if they grow.
Compare your ears.
A free 60 minute hearing test in our Birmingham clinic, or a home visit across the West Midlands.
Hearing loss in one earSudden hearing lossTinnitusSensorineural hearing lossHearing tests
Written and clinically reviewed by our HCPC registered audiologists. Last reviewed: 15 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your hearing or your ears, book an appointment or speak to your GP.