A 56-year-old man presents to his GP with sudden onset hearing loss in his left ear that began upon waking this morning. He describes a sensation of blocked hearing with associated tinnitus, but no vertigo or ear pain. There is no history of trauma or discharge. He has hypertension and allergic rhinitis. On examination, the external ear and tympanic membrane appear normal. Rinne’s test is positive bilaterally, and Weber’s test lateralises to the right. There is no facial asymmetry or neurological deficit. A diagnosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is made, and the GP initiates an urgent ENT referral.