If your hearing drops suddenly or gets noticeably worse over a few days, seek medical care immediately. This applies whether it affects one ear or both and whether or not you feel pain. If you cannot get an immediate medical assessment, go to an emergency department.
You might notice the change when you answer your phone, turn toward someone who is speaking, or wake up and find that one ear sounds quieter than usual. A sudden hearing drop can feel like a plugged ear. Get it checked immediately rather than waiting to see whether it clears.
What Does Sudden Hearing Loss Feel Like?
A drop in hearing can be partial. You may still hear voices but find they sound quieter or harder to understand than they did the previous day. Some people also notice a feeling of fullness, ringing, or dizziness.
| What you notice | What to say when seeking care |
|---|---|
| You wake up and one ear sounds quieter. | “I noticed a sudden drop in my left ear when I woke up today.” |
| Hearing changed during a phone call. | “I could hear the caller normally, then their voice became much quieter in my right ear.” |
| The ear feels plugged and speech sounds muffled. | “My ear feels blocked, and my hearing changed suddenly this afternoon.” |
| Ringing starts at the same time. | “The ringing and the drop in hearing started together.” |
If you are unsure when the change began, tell the clinician when your hearing last seemed normal and when you first noticed the difference.
Why the Blocked Feeling Can Be Misleading
A blockage in the ear canal can affect hearing. A problem in the inner ear can also feel like a blockage. The sensation alone cannot tell you which is happening.
One condition clinicians assess for is sudden sensorineural hearing loss, a rapid loss of hearing that involves the inner ear. It frequently affects one side. Prompt assessment matters because treatment, when appropriate, can become less effective with delay.
If the main change is that voices sound dull or distant, mention the hearing change as well as the sensation of pressure. Read more about muffled hearing.
What to Tell the Medical Team
Lead with the hearing change and when it happened. Saying “My hearing suddenly dropped in my right ear this morning” gives the medical team the two details they need first.
If you can, also tell them:
- Whether one ear or both ears are affected.
- Whether you have ringing, fullness, pain, or dizziness.
- Whether it followed a loud bang, injury, or other event.
- Whether you recently started or changed a medicine.
Seek care even if you have only part of that information. If the change followed a loud event, tell the clinician what the sound was and how close you were. Read about tinnitus after loud noise.
What Happens During an Assessment?
The clinician may examine your ear to look for a blockage or a problem in the outer or middle ear. A hearing test can help show how much your hearing changed and what type of hearing loss may be present. Depending on the findings, the clinician may arrange specialist assessment or further tests. See what happens during a hearing test.
If sudden sensorineural hearing loss is suspected, a clinician may consider corticosteroids. The decision depends on your assessment, medical history, and how long ago the change began. Ask the medical team what the next step is and how soon it needs to happen.
What if Ringing Is the First Thing You Notice?
Ringing can draw your attention before you realise that speech sounds quieter. If you notice both symptoms, mention the sudden hearing change first when seeking care. Ringing together with sudden hearing loss needs emergency medical assessment. Read about ringing in one ear.
If your hearing seems unchanged and the main symptom is a sound that beats in time with your pulse, arrange an urgent medical appointment and describe that rhythm when you book. Read about pulsatile tinnitus.