October 14, 2025
At Clear Choice Hearing and Balance, we recently had two separate new patients come to us for suspected ear wax. This is not unusual. We see patients for ear wax daily. The reason for these two visits was a sudden loss of hearing and a plugged ear sensation on one side. It was reasonable for them to guess they had something blocking their ear canals.
In each case, however, our cameras revealed completely clear canals. No wax. Both providers were unsatisfied to simply tell the patient, “Well, I can’t find anything wrong.” Something was clearly wrong.
The audiologists decided to do a middle ear test to determine if there may be fluid behind the ear drum, which may not be seen. Both patients consented to full-scale diagnostic hearing evaluations. What we found were significant one-sided hearing losses of different types.
We knew these patients needed immediate medical care. One had a sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and the other had a conductive loss. Due to the diligence of our front-end staff, we were able to get each patient timely care with trusted ear physicians. A sudden inner ear loss has a typical window of only 72 hours when steroids may reverse the loss. A conductive loss may need tubes or decongesting of the eustachian tubes.
These patients had good outcomes because they did not wait to seek care. Our team of professionals and staff did not hesitate to diagnose the source of the problem and find the best care for our patients.
Do not wait. If you suspect a sudden problem with your ears, you should seek help immediately. Give us a call at one of our Rochester, NY locations, or send us an email through our secure form. You only get one pair of ears. Treat them well. As always, we wish you good ear health.
