One of the most common calls we receive at our clinic starts something like this:
“I woke up this morning and suddenly can’t hear properly out of one ear.”
The first thing many people tell us is, “I think it’s probably just earwax.”
And honestly, sometimes they’re right.
We see impacted earwax all the time. Someone comes in feeling like their ear is blocked, we examine the ear, remove the wax, and their hearing improves almost immediately.
But sometimes it’s something completely different.
Sometimes it’s sudden sensorineural hearing loss – a condition that’s considered a medical emergency.
That’s actually why I’ve trained our front desk team to recognize these calls. If someone tells us they’ve suddenly lost hearing overnight, we know time is important.
Why We Take These Calls Seriously
With sudden sensorineural hearing loss, there’s only a limited window where treatment may help restore some or all of the hearing.
The sooner someone is assessed, the sooner they can receive the medical care they may need.
That’s why we never encourage people to simply “wait and see” if their hearing comes back.
Why It’s Easy to Mistake It for Earwax
One of the difficult things about sudden hearing loss is that it can feel almost exactly like earwax.
People often tell us:
- “My ear feels plugged.”
- “It sounds like there’s water in my ear.”
- “Everything sounds muffled.”
- “I just can’t hear properly out of one side.”
Naturally, many people book an earwax appointment first.
And that’s understandable.
Sometimes it really is just wax.
But sometimes we look inside the ear expecting to find impacted earwax… and there isn’t any.
The ear canal looks healthy.
The eardrum looks completely normal.
That’s when a comprehensive hearing assessment becomes extremely important.
What We Look For During the Hearing Assessment
When we perform a hearing test, we’re looking for much more than whether sounds are simply quieter.
One thing we pay close attention to is how sounds are being heard.
With earwax, sounds are usually just softer because the ear canal is blocked.
With sudden sensorineural hearing loss, people often describe something different.
They may say that sounds are:
- Distorted
- Unclear
- Difficult to understand
- Different than they were before
Many people also experience:
- Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
- Dizziness or vertigo
- A feeling of pressure or fullness
- Problems with balance
- Difficulty understanding speech
These symptoms help us determine whether further medical assessment may be needed.
A Patient I’ll Never Forget
Recently, a patient came into our clinic after suddenly developing pressure and fullness in her right ear.
She also had ringing in that ear and noticed her hearing had changed.
The symptoms had only started a few days earlier.
When we examined her ears, everything looked completely normal.
There was no earwax.
There were no obvious physical problems.
However, when we completed a comprehensive hearing test and compared it to a hearing test she had done about a year and a half earlier, the difference was very clear.
Her hearing had significantly declined in that ear.
Because we were concerned about sudden sensorineural hearing loss, we recommended that she seek urgent medical attention and follow up with an ENT specialist immediately.
Thankfully, she did.
She received steroid treatment as well as hyperbaric oxygen therapy through Vancouver General Hospital.
We don’t yet know what her long-term hearing outcome will be.
But we do know that she acted quickly – and that’s exactly what we hope every patient will do if this ever happens to them.
Please Don’t Assume It Will Go Away
One of the biggest concerns I have is that many people don’t seek help right away.
They assume it’s:
- Allergies
- Sinus congestion
- A cold
- Earwax
- Water trapped in the ear
Or they simply hope it will improve on its own.
Unfortunately, waiting could mean missing the opportunity for treatments that may help preserve hearing.
My Advice
If you suddenly lose hearing in one or both ears, don’t ignore it.
Get your hearing checked as soon as possible.
If we can see you quickly at our clinic, we’ll always do our best to prioritize your appointment.
And if you can’t get into a hearing clinic right away, I would still encourage you to seek urgent medical care or go to your nearest emergency department.
Even if it turns out to be earwax, I’d much rather someone come in, be assessed, and discover it’s something simple than miss the treatment window for a condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Final Thoughts
Sudden hearing loss isn’t something to “wait out.”
It should always be taken seriously until proven otherwise.
If you’re ever unsure whether your symptoms are caused by earwax or something more significant, don’t guess.
Have your hearing assessed.
Sometimes it’s simply earwax.
Sometimes it’s something much more urgent.
Knowing the difference can make all the difference.
Hear At Home Mobile Hearing Clinic
At Hear At Home Mobile Hearing Clinic, we provide comprehensive hearing assessments to help identify the cause of sudden hearing changes. If we suspect a medical emergency, we’ll guide you toward the urgent medical care you need because protecting your hearing is always our priority.
