In many cases, hearing loss is a permanent condition that becomes increasingly noticeable. As most people get older, they struggle to hear certain frequencies, can sometimes have difficulty parsing signal from noise in busy areas or find themselves feeling more fatigued in conversations.
The cause and best treatment path for long-term hearing loss will typically come from audiology tests that determine the cause and severity of the loss of hearing in each ear, but it is not always the case that someone will struggle to hear forever.
If you suddenly notice that you are struggling to hear as well as you did previously all of a sudden, it might be a temporary condition causing it, one that if treated can help restore all or most of your hearing ability.
Ear Infections
Very common with children who suddenly lose hearing in one ear, a middle-ear infection is commonly caused by viruses, colds and the flu, as fluid builds up in the middle ear as part of the body’s way to fight the virus.
This can put pressure on the ear and cause an uncomfortable blocked sensation and a total loss of hearing, but once the fluid dissipates either through antibiotics, the illness running its course or the eardrum rupturing and healing, this feeling will disappear and your hearing will return.
Sudden Loud Noises
Loud noises can and do cause permanent hearing damage, but in a lot of cases of people who go temporarily deaf after a music concert, hearing an explosion near their ear or another sharp noise, the loss of hearing is typically temporary.
If you rest your ears as soon as possible and protect your hearing in the future with earplugs or earmuffs, you can avoid further serious damage.
Impacted Earwax
Earwax is an unsung hero of the human body, as it traps small particles and stops the eardrum from being damaged, before being pushed out naturally through the natural motion of your jaw.
However, if earwax gets stuck in your ear then it can cause a blockage that can suddenly cause hearing loss.
However, most clinics can easily flush earwax out using a syringe treatment, and in some cases, ear drops can be bought over the counter that work in the same way.