Wax or visible canal blockage
Sudden hearing loss
Sudden Hearing Loss Guidance
Sudden hearing loss should not be assumed to be wax. A sudden change in hearing, especially in one ear, can have several causes and may require urgent medical assessment.
What patients notice
Common symptoms and signs
Symptoms can overlap between different ear conditions. The safest first step is a careful clinical assessment so treatment is based on what is actually seen and heard during your appointment.
- Sudden hearing drop in one or both ears
- Blocked feeling with sudden hearing change
- New tinnitus with hearing change
- Hearing loss with dizziness or vertigo
- Hearing change after infection, trauma or pressure
Possible causes
What could be causing this?
The cause can vary from person to person. Your clinician will consider your symptoms, medical history and ear examination findings before advising on the most appropriate next step.
Middle-ear infection or fluid
Eardrum changes
Inner-ear hearing loss
Trauma, noise exposure or other medical causes
How we can help
Doctor-led assessment at Nottingham Ear Clinic
Nottingham Ear Clinic can examine the ear canal and eardrum to identify visible causes such as wax, infection or eardrum change. Sudden unexplained hearing loss may require urgent NHS or specialist assessment and should not be delayed.
Safety guidance
When to seek urgent medical advice
Most ear symptoms can be assessed in a routine appointment, but some symptoms should not wait.
- Sudden hearing loss, especially in one ear
- Severe or rapidly worsening pain
- Facial weakness, severe headache or neurological symptoms
- Marked dizziness, collapse or severe balance disturbance
- Swelling, redness or tenderness spreading around the ear
- High temperature, feeling very unwell, diabetes or reduced immune function
If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening or concerning, please contact your GP, NHS 111, an urgent treatment centre or 999 in an emergency.
Frequently asked questions
Helpful answers about sudden hearing loss and when to book an appointment.
Is sudden hearing loss urgent?
Yes. Sudden unexplained hearing loss should be treated as urgent, especially if it affects one ear or is associated with tinnitus or dizziness.
Could sudden hearing loss just be wax?
It can be wax, but it is not safe to assume. Examination is needed to check for visible causes and guide next steps.
Can Nottingham Ear Clinic arrange MRI IAMS if needed?
Where clinically appropriate, our doctors can help patients access fast MRI internal auditory meatus imaging, with consultant radiologist reporting and doctor review.
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