Ear conditions, explained simply
Blocked ears, infections, sudden changes, dizziness, tinnitus and more. What each condition is, the signs to look for, what helps, and when you need a doctor rather than an audiologist. Written by independent audiologists in Birmingham.
Need help today?
- Hearing loss that came on suddenly, over hours or a few days, in one or both ears
- Severe ear pain with a high temperature, or swelling and redness behind the ear
- Sudden dizziness with weakness, numbness, slurred speech or a drooping face (call 999)
Sudden hearing loss is an emergency. Contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day, rather than waiting for a routine hearing test. For anything else, we are happy to help, and if we find something that needs a doctor we will write to your GP for you.
Blocked, full or muffled ears
The most common reason people come to see us, and very often the easiest to put right.
Why wax builds up, the signs it is blocking your ear, and what clears it safely.
Read about earwax build-upThe usual causes of a blocked ear, from wax to a cold, and when to get it checked.
Read about blocked earsWhen the world sounds like it is behind glass: what it usually means and what to do.
Read about muffled hearingPressure, popping and crackling, and why it often follows a cold or a flight.
Read about eustachian tube dysfunctionInfections, pain and the ear canal
What is going on, what helps at home, and when you need a pharmacist or GP rather than us.
Middle and outer ear infections in adults, the signs, and how they are treated.
Read about ear infectionsAn infected, sore ear canal, including fungal infections, and how to stop it coming back.
Read about swimmer's ear (otitis externa)The common causes of ear pain, including the ones that are not in the ear at all.
Read about earacheDry skin, eczema, allergies and hearing aid moulds, and how to stop the itch.
Read about itchy earsWhat different kinds of discharge usually mean, and when it needs a doctor.
Read about ear dischargeHow eardrums tear, how they heal, and how to look after your ear meanwhile.
Read about perforated eardrumFluid behind the eardrum in adults and children, and how it affects hearing.
Read about glue earSudden or one-sided hearing changes
Some of these need a doctor the same day. Read these first if your hearing has changed quickly.
Why sudden loss is a medical emergency, and exactly what to do today.
Read about sudden hearing lossThe causes of one-sided hearing loss, and why it should always be checked.
Read about hearing loss in one earA rare, non-cancerous growth on the hearing nerve, and the signs that lead to a scan.
Read about acoustic neuromaBalance and the inner ear
Dizziness and vertigo that come from the ear, and how they affect hearing.
Attacks of vertigo with hearing loss, tinnitus and fullness, and how it is managed.
Read about ménière's diseaseInner ear inflammation that causes sudden dizziness, and how most people recover.
Read about labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritisTinnitus and sound sensitivity
Sounds you hear that are not there, and everyday sounds that feel far too loud.
Ringing, buzzing or hissing, and the support built into every hearing test with us.
Read about tinnitusA whooshing in time with your heartbeat, and why it is checked differently.
Read about pulsatile tinnitusWhen ordinary sounds feel painfully loud, and how sensitivity is gradually reduced.
Read about hyperacusisPatterns of hearing loss
What your hearing chart is telling you, and what usually causes each pattern.
Conductive, sensorineural and mixed, explained simply.
Read about types of hearing lossThe most common pattern, and why speech sounds mumbled before anything sounds quiet.
Read about high-frequency hearing lossA less common pattern, its usual causes, and how it is helped.
Read about low-frequency hearing lossWhy high sounds go first as we get older, and what helps.
Read about age-related hearing lossDamage from loud noise at work and play, and how to protect what you have.
Read about noise-induced hearing lossLess common conditions
Rarer causes of hearing loss we look out for at every assessment.
Bone growth in the middle ear that slowly reduces hearing, often in younger adults.
Read about otosclerosisAn abnormal skin growth behind the eardrum that needs ENT care.
Read about cholesteatomaWhen the ears hear but the brain struggles to make sense of sound.
Read about auditory processing disorderOtotoxicity: the medicines linked to hearing loss and tinnitus, and what to ask.
Read about medicines that can affect hearingMost ear problems start with the same simple check.
A look in your ears and a full hearing test tells us whether it is wax, fluid, infection or a change in your hearing, and what to do next.
Gentle microsuction for both ears in about 30 minutes, with a free hearing check included. No GP referral needed.
A full 60 minute assessment at our Birmingham clinic, with your results explained the same day.
The same assessment at home across the West Midlands, evenings and weekends included.
If something needs a doctor, we tell you plainly and write to your GP with our findings.
Frequently asked questions.
We examine your ears, test your hearing and can identify the common causes such as wax, a perforation or a pattern of hearing loss. We do not prescribe medicines. If something needs medical treatment, we write to your GP with our findings and recommend the right referral.
No. You can book a hearing test or earwax removal with us directly, in our Birmingham clinic or at home.
We currently see adults only. For children, your GP or health visitor can refer you to the local NHS paediatric audiology service.
Sudden hearing loss, severe pain with a fever, swelling behind the ear, or dizziness with signs of a stroke. Use NHS 111, your GP, or 999 for stroke symptoms, rather than booking a routine appointment.
Book a check with us.
In our Birmingham clinic or in your own home, with evening and weekend appointments.
Hearing adviceSigns of hearing lossEarwax removalHearing testsContact us
Written and clinically reviewed by our HCPC registered audiologists. Last reviewed: 15 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your hearing or your ears, book an appointment or speak to your GP.