Why language options matter

Hearing affects every part of life—family conversations, medical decisions, work, and daily routines. When information is only available in English, it can be hard to share what you’re learning with the people who support you most.

UCSF EARS offers free, evidence-based resources about hearing loss, treatment options, devices, and daily communication. Many of these materials are translated so you can review them in your preferred language and share them with family, friends, and care teams.

Urgent Medical Notice: Sudden Hearing Changes Require Prompt Care

If you experience a sudden drop in hearing—especially in one ear over a few hours or within 3 days (72 hours)—prompt medical evaluation is essential. Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) requires urgent same-day evaluation by an otolaryngologist (ENT) specialist or an urgent care clinician (or emergency department if urgent clinic access is unavailable). Early clinical evaluation offers the highest opportunity for hearing recovery.

Immediate Emergency Escalation: If sudden hearing loss occurs with acute vertigo (spinning dizziness), facial droop or weakness, difficulty speaking, or following head trauma, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. Review our Emergency Hearing Guide →

A growing multilingual library

Our translations are expanding over time. In some languages, you may see a mix of translated and English content while we continue to build the library and review new materials.

Civil Rights & Qualified Medical Interpreter Services

UCSF Health complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964).

Qualified Medical Interpreter Services at No Cost

Language assistance is provided free of charge for clinical appointments, consultations, and scheduling. Qualified medical interpreters—including American Sign Language (ASL)—are provided in person, by video, or by telephone according to clinical setting and language need at no cost to you in more than 200 languages.

How to request an interpreter: When scheduling your appointment or checking in at any UCSF clinic, inform the front desk or care coordinator of your preferred language. You may also contact UCSF Medical Center Interpreting Services directly at (415) 353-2690.

Available languages

Choose a language to open its home page. You can always switch languages again using the menu at the top of any page.

Don’t see your preferred language listed yet? We hope to add more languages over time as we create new materials and partner with additional translators.

Experiencing sudden or urgent hearing symptoms? If you have sudden hearing loss (over hours to up to 3 days [72 hours]), severe dizziness, or symptoms in one ear only, see our urgent medical care guide immediately.

Languages