What to do if…
you suddenly lose hearing in one ear or your hearing drops sharply

What to do now

1. Check for emergency red flags. Call 999 now if you have stroke-like signs such as face drooping, arm weakness, speech problems, sudden confusion, new weakness or numbness on one side, sudden vision loss, collapse, chest pain, or a sudden severe headache. Call 999 if you cannot safely stand or walk because of severe continuous dizziness.
2. Get urgent NHS help today. Call 111 where available, use your local urgent NHS advice route, or request an urgent GP appointment. Say: “Sudden hearing loss in one ear started on [date/time].”
3. Ask for sudden-onset hearing loss to be considered. If the hearing loss happened suddenly or over 3 days or less, ask whether you need urgent ENT assessment, especially if there is no clear outer-ear or middle-ear cause such as wax, infection, or fluid.
4. Seek emergency care after injury or ear bleeding. If the hearing loss followed a head injury, or there is blood or clear fluid from the ear, use 999, A&E, or urgent NHS advice depending on how safe you are to travel.
5. Write a 60-second timeline before you call. Note the exact start time, whether it was instant or over hours, ear pain, discharge, recent cold or flu, recent flight or diving, loud noise exposure, new tinnitus, vertigo, and any new neurological symptoms.
6. Do a safe check without putting anything in your ear. Remove earbuds or hearing aids, check phone audio and balance settings, and ask someone to speak at normal volume. If you use a hearing aid, check the battery, charge, and wax guard only as the device instructions describe.
7. Protect your hearing and balance until you are assessed. Avoid loud noise, keep headphone volume low, move slowly if dizzy, and ask someone to help you get to care safely if you feel unsteady.