Neurological Surgery

Symptoms of an Acoustic Neuroma

Since an acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) develops near the vestibular and cochlear nerves, symptoms are usually related to balance and hearing. Common early symptoms of an acoustic neuroma include:

  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Hearing loss
  • Balance problems or vertigo


As the tumor grows, it affects other facial nerves and brain structures and may cause:

  • Headache
  • Facial numbness
  • Vision changes
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Weakness on one side of the body

 
Because these symptoms can appear with other conditions, it is important to be seen by a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. If left untreated, even a non-cancerous acoustic neuroma can grow and cause nerve damage and hearing loss.

The experts of Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery  have advanced training and expertise in treating acoustic neuromas, with excellent outcomes. Find out more about the Doctors Who Treat Acoustic Neuromas.

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What our Patients Say

Eve Armstrong
"If He Couldn't Help Me, Then No One Could"
Eve Armstrong is an assistant professor of physics at the New York Institute of Technology and a research associate in the department of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City – in other words, she’s an accomplished...
Preston Bottomy
"I Made the Right Choice" - A Patient Story
At 38, Preston Bottomy had a successful career as Walmart’s VP for e-commerce and maintained an active Manhattan social life. He was healthy and fit, with a daily workout regimen, so he was surprised one night as he sat down to dinner with friends...
Peter Benson had acoustic neuroma surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian
You’re the One in 100,000: An Acoustic Neuroma Story
It seemed so trivial that Peter Benson barely remembered to ask his doctor about it at his check-up. For the past six months he’d had a “clogged” feeling in his right ear, as if he were water-logged after swimming. Peter thought it was the remnant...

Our Care Team

Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD, Weill Cornell Medicine
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  • Chair and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief
  • Margaret and Robert J. Hariri, MD ’87, PhD ’87 Professor of Neurological Surgery
  • Vice Provost of Business Affairs and Integration
Clinical Profile
Phone: 212-746-4684
Babacar Cisse, MD, PhD
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  • Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
  • Leon Levy Research Fellow
  • Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute
Clinical Profile
Phone: 646-962-3389
Susan Pannullo, MD
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  • Director, Neurosurgical Radiosurgery
  • Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery
  • Robert G. Schwager, MD ’67 Education Scholar, Cornell University
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Phone: 212-746-2438
John Park, MD, PhD
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  • Chief of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
  • Co-director, Weill Cornell Medicine CSF Leak Program
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Phone: (718) 670-1837
Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna
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  • Chief of Neurological Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist
  • Professor, Neurological Surgery
  • Director, Brain Metastases Program
  • Co-director, William Rhodes and Louise Tilzer-Rhodes Center for Glioblastoma
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Phone: 212-746-1996 (Manhattan) / 718-780-3070 (Brooklyn)
Samuel H. Selesnick, M.D.
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  • Attending Otolaryngologist
  • Professor of Otolaryngology in Neurological Surgery
  • Professor of Otolaryngology
  • Professor of Otolaryngology in Neurology
Clinical Profile
Phone: 646-962-3277

Reviewed by: Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD
Last reviewed/last updated: October 2023

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Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery 525 East 68 Street, Box 99 New York, NY 10065 Phone: 866-426-7787