Ringing and Hearing Loss in Just One Ear: When Is It a Tumour on the Hearing Nerve?

By Dr. Simple Bhadania, MS ENT

ENT & Skull Base Surgeon, ACE Neuro ENT Hospital, Nava Vadaj, Ahmedabad. Fellowship-trained in skull base and cochlear implant surgery (SGPGIMS Lucknow, Weill Cornell Medical College). 5,000+ ENT surgeries, including 100+ skull base procedures.

If one ear has gone quieter, or you hear a ringing that only one side picks up, it is natural to wonder if something serious is going on. Usually it isn’t. But in a small number of people, one-sided hearing loss with ringing is the first sign of an acoustic neuroma, a slow-growing, non-cancerous tumour on the nerve that carries hearing and balance signals. As an ENT specialist in Ahmedabad, I often meet people who waited months because the change was so gradual. The short answer is to get a hearing test, and if the loss is on one side only, ask about an MRI. If a scan does find a tumour, acoustic neuroma treatment in Ahmedabad is available, and many of these tumours are very manageable when found early.

What Is an Acoustic Neuroma, and Is It Cancer?

An acoustic neuroma (also called a vestibular schwannoma) is a benign growth. It starts from the cells that wrap around the nerve running from your inner ear to your brain. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), these tumours are non-cancerous and usually grow slowly.

Think of that nerve as a cable carrying two signals: sound and balance. A tumour is like a slow-growing knot on that cable. It doesn’t switch the signal off overnight. It dims it over months or years, and your brain quietly adapts to the balance part, so many people feel only mild unsteadiness.

Which Symptoms Should Make You Ask About a Scan?

The pattern matters more than any single symptom. These are the ones that raise suspicion:

• Hearing loss in one ear only, usually gradual, often noticed on the phone
• Ringing (tinnitus) in the same ear
• A feeling of fullness in that ear, with no infection or wax
• Unsteadiness or mild dizziness, more than spinning vertigo
• Facial numbness or tingling, which usually means a larger tumour

Ringing in one ear on its own is rarely caused by a tumour. Hearing loss on the same side as the ringing is what makes us look harder. Many people blame age, earwax or a cold for months before they come in.

How Is an Acoustic Neuroma Diagnosed?

Diagnosis takes two steps.

1. A hearing test. Audiometry shows whether the loss is sensorineural (an inner ear or nerve problem) and whether it is lopsided. If you’re unsure what each test measures, our guide to hearing tests explains them in plain language.
2. An MRI scan. An MRI with contrast of the inner ear canals is the test that confirms or rules out a tumour. It can detect even very small ones.

The scan tells us the tumour’s size and exactly where it sits. That decides what comes next.

Do All Acoustic Neuromas Need Surgery?

No. This surprises many people. There are three options, and the right one depends on tumour size, growth rate, your hearing, your age and your overall health.

• Watchful waiting. A small tumour that isn’t growing or causing trouble can be watched with repeat MRI scans, usually every 6 to 12 months at first. Many tumours stay stable for years.
• Microsurgery. The tumour is removed through the inner ear or through a small window in the skull, depending on its size and your hearing. This is skull base surgery, and it is where my fellowship training in neuro-otology and skull base surgery counts most.
• Radiosurgery. A focused, single-session dose of radiation aims to stop the tumour growing rather than remove it. If this is the better fit for you, I’ll tell you plainly and guide you to a centre that offers it.

If you want to talk through your scan, Dr. Simple Bhadania can go through the report with you. A treatment decision should never be rushed, and neither should the decision to wait.

What Are the Risks, and What Should You Expect?

Every option has trade-offs, and you should hear them before you choose.

Surgery can affect hearing in the operated ear. Hearing may be preserved with smaller tumours, but it is never guaranteed. Other risks include temporary or lasting weakness of the facial nerve, balance problems, headaches and, rarely, a leak of spinal fluid. These risks rise with tumour size, which is one reason early diagnosis helps.

Recovery usually means several days in hospital, then a few weeks before you’re back to normal routines. Balance can take longer to settle, because the brain has to recalibrate. Vestibular therapy helps.

Results are generally good. In most patients the tumour is controlled for the long term, although follow-up scans continue for years because a small minority of tumours return. If hearing in the treated ear is lost, options such as hearing devices or a cochlear implant can be explored depending on your case.

When Should You See a Doctor?

See an ENT specialist soon if you notice any of these:

• Hearing loss in one ear that lasts more than two to three weeks
• Ringing in one ear along with that hearing change
• Unexplained unsteadiness, especially with one-sided hearing loss
• Numbness or weakness on one side of your face

A sudden drop in hearing is different. It’s an emergency, and you should read about sudden hearing loss and get seen within a day or two, not weeks.

If any of this sounds like you, don’t wait for it to settle. You can call us at ACE Neuro ENT Hospital in Nava Vadaj and we will arrange a hearing test and advise on the next step.

Conclusion

One quiet ear or a persistent ringing is easy to ignore, but it is worth a simple hearing test. Most of the time the answer is reassuring. When it isn’t, an acoustic neuroma found early gives you more choices and lower risks.

If you’re looking for acoustic neuroma treatment in Ahmedabad, or just want to know why one ear has changed, book an appointment and bring any earlier hearing tests or scans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is an acoustic neuroma cancer?

A: No. It is a benign tumour that doesn’t spread to other parts of the body. It can still cause problems by pressing on nearby nerves as it grows, which is why it is monitored or treated.

Q: Can ringing in one ear alone mean I have a tumour?

A: Rarely. Most one-sided ringing has an ordinary cause such as noise exposure, wax or an ear infection. Ringing together with hearing loss on the same side is what makes us consider a scan.

Q: Will I lose my hearing after treatment?

A: It depends on tumour size and the treatment chosen. Hearing can sometimes be preserved with smaller tumours, but it can’t be promised. We discuss the realistic outlook for your ear before any decision.

Q: How fast does an acoustic neuroma grow?

A: Most grow slowly, often a millimetre or two a year, and some barely grow at all. A repeat MRI shows which pattern yours follows.

Q: What if both ears are affected?

A: Tumours on both hearing nerves are uncommon and are linked to a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 2. This needs a specialist evaluation, and the plan is different from the usual one-sided case.

Medical note: This article is for general information and isn’t a substitute for personal medical advice. Diagnosis and treatment depend on your examination and scans, and no outcome can be guaranteed.