A sudden change in hearing can be a medical emergency. Seek urgent assessment, even if your ear just feels blocked.
It is tempting to assume the ear is blocked with wax or that it will clear on its own. A sudden change in hearing needs urgent assessment, because it could be sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). This affects the inner ear or hearing nerve and is treated as a medical urgency.
We ask when the change began and whether you have noticed tinnitus, dizziness, pain or other symptoms. We examine the ear and perform hearing tests to help distinguish a problem such as wax or a middle ear blockage from a possible inner ear hearing loss.
If the results suggest SSNHL, we arrange urgent medical or ENT assessment and provide your hearing test results to support that review. An audiologist’s testing is an important part of identifying the type of hearing loss; a doctor determines whether medical treatment is appropriate.
Treatment options for SSNHL are time sensitive. A doctor may consider corticosteroids, with clinical guidance placing initial treatment within two weeks of symptom onset. That window is a reason to act promptly, not a reason to wait two weeks for an appointment. Delays can reduce the opportunity for treatment to help. Recovery varies, and no treatment can guarantee that hearing will return.
Seek medical care the same day. Contact your GP or an urgent care service and say clearly: “I have sudden hearing loss.” If you cannot access prompt assessment, attend an emergency department. Do this even if the ear feels blocked or you think it might be wax. Please do not wait for a routine audiology booking or for the hearing to improve by itself.
Sound Audiology can help with hearing testing and clear results for your medical team. Once the urgent medical steps are underway, we can also monitor your hearing and discuss any ongoing hearing support you may need.
Sudden hearing loss? Act today.
