Sudden hearing loss: what you should do immediately
Have you ever woken up in the morning unable to hear, or felt your hearing deteriorate over a day or two? If so, you suffered from sudden hearing loss.
Deaf Awareness Week draws attention to hearing loss in all its forms. But one type demands more than awareness. It demands immediate action.
While sudden hearing loss can be scary, there are treatment options available, and the steps you take in the next few days may determine whether you recover that hearing or lose it permanently.
What is sudden sensorineural hearing loss?
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a rapid drop in hearing of 30 decibels or more, typically in one ear, occurring within 72 hours. Around 15,000 people in the UK experience it every year. It most commonly affects adults aged 30 to 60, with no preference for either sex.
In around 70% of cases, no definitive cause is found. In the remainder, possible causes include a viral infection of the inner ear, disruption of the cochlear blood supply or autoimmune conditions. Rarely, a benign growth on the auditory nerve may be responsible. This is one reason prompt specialist investigation matters so much.
Symptoms alongside hearing loss can include:
- Tinnitus: a ringing, buzzing, or rushing sound in the affected ear
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear
- Dizziness or vertigo
Why sudden hearing loss gets missed
SSNHL is frequently mistaken for a blocked ear, wax buildup, or the aftermath of a cold. These conditions share similar symptoms, and the overlap causes dangerous delays. NICE guidelines classify sudden hearing loss as an otological emergency and recommend specialist assessment within 24 hours of onset.
Research published in JAMA Otolaryngology in 2024, led by clinicians at University College London Hospitals and drawing on data from 76 hospitals across England and Wales, found that patients who received steroid treatment within seven days were five times more likely to fully recover their hearing. Yet only around 60% of patients in the study received treatment within this window.
Put simply: the majority of people with SSNHL are not getting help quickly enough.
What happens at The Harley Street ENT Clinic
We offer urgent appointments for patients with sudden hearing loss, with the full range of diagnostic testing and treatment available under one roof. For a time-critical condition, having everything in one place matters.
An appointment with one of our ear specialists will typically include:
- A full review of your symptoms and the timeline of your hearing change
- Examination of the ear canal and eardrum to rule out conductive causes
- Pure tone audiometry to establish the degree and pattern of hearing loss
- Tympanometry to assess middle ear function
- MRI imaging, where indicated, to identify or exclude structural causes
When SSNHL is confirmed, steroid treatment can be initiated promptly. For patients who have not responded to oral steroids, intratympanic steroid injections, delivered directly through the eardrum for a much higher concentration in the inner ear, are also available at the clinic.
The sooner you act, the better your chances
If you experience an unexplained change in hearing, do not assume it will resolve on its own and do not wait for a routine GP appointment. Every day within that seven-day treatment window counts.
Call The Harley Street ENT Clinic on 020 7224 2350 during our opening hours (Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm) to arrange an urgent appointment with one of our ear specialists. We’ll ensure that you’re assessed, tested and treated quickly when it matters most.