I'm worried about unilateral tinnitus. i know acoustic neuroma often causes this, but how common is acoustic neuroma among people w/unilat tinnitus?

Acoustic neuroma: Many less serious and benign conditions can cause unilateral tinnitus and hope yours is one of them. Unilateral tinnitus can be the presenting symptom of acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma). Recommend physical exam by a neurologist or ENT specialist, audiometric testing, and mri.

So common: Tinnitus is so common! can be unilateral, too. The vast majority of those with tinnitus do not have an acoustic neuroma. An MRI (high resolution cuts with contrast) can usually eliminate the possibility.