A 52-year-old woman presents to her GP with a 6-month history of gradual hearing loss in her right ear. She initially noticed difficulty hearing conversations on the phone and has since developed a persistent ringing (tinnitus) in the same ear. Over the past month, she has experienced mild dizziness and an occasional sensation of imbalance. She denies any ear pain, discharge, or recent trauma. She is concerned as she has had a recent complete loss of hearing in her right ear, which has occurred quite suddenly.