Muffled hearing can happen for a wide variety of reasons. In the majority of cases, this condition is temporary. But muffled hearing can also be a sign that a more severe hearing problem is occurring. That’s because, for the most part, hearing loss is a gradually developing condition. Symptoms develop slowly over a long time period.
One of the first symptoms of gradually advancing long-term hearing loss is the feeling that your hearing is muffled. However, it’s essential to point out that muffled hearing in and of itself isn’t always a sign of permanent hearing loss. Indeed, millions of people experience muffled hearing every year.
You may be wondering: when do I need to be concerned about muffled hearing? Generally, the answer varies. Finding the best treatment for your muffled hearing depends on understanding the underlying cause. Prompt solutions can in some cases help get your hearing back to normal, or, at least minimize possible harm. Calling us for a consultation can help you start this process, typically leading to successful treatments, so you can continue enjoying the sounds of your day-to-day life.
Muffled Hearing – what exactly is it?
When sound can’t move through your outer, middle, and inner ear in a normal way, your hearing can sound muffled. This results in a noticeable decrease in sound quality. In most instances, people with muffled hearing can still hear some or even most things, but things sound quieter or distorted. Hearing speech and language can be particularly challenging.
In many cases, and depending on the root cause, muffled hearing can be combined with a sense of fullness or stuffiness in your ears. Many people have experienced this feeling for a short time, for instance, when they have a cold or are flying. This clogged feeling, however, doesn’t always come with muffled hearing.
Causes of muffled hearing
Muffled hearing can be caused by a wide variety of issues. Determining the root cause of your muffled hearing can be important in establishing an effective treatment plan. Some of the most prevalent causes of muffled hearing include the following:
- Meniere’s Disease: When you have Menier’s Disease, you suffer from chronic hearing and balance issues. Dizziness, balance issues, tinnitus, and muffled ears will manifest over time as a result of this disease. There’s no cure for Meniere’s Disease, but symptoms can be managed.
- Travel: Altitude changes, like when you’re on a plane, can lead to a feeling of muffled ears. Your hearing will go back to normal rather quickly once your physical conditions return to normal.
- Earwax buildup: Usually, earwax is a good thing. The health of your ear canal depends on the production of earwax. But muffled hearing (and in some cases even hearing loss) can be the consequence of too much earwax. This earwax can usually be loosened up by using a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide. Never try to dislodge stuck earwax with a cotton swab which will only pack the wax further up into the ear canal. We can help if the problem continues.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: Sometimes, muffled hearing can be the outcome of noise-related hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is, regrettably, usually permanent. Muffled hearing is often one of the earliest detectable symptoms; but damage to your stereocilia has likely already happened by the time you notice the distorted sounds. You should find treatment promptly to avoid your hearing getting considerably worse quickly.
- Infection: Sometimes, problems like infections (such as sinus infections or ear infections) can cause swelling in the ear canal (this is particularly true with ear infections). This will diminish your hearing ability by causing the ear canal to swell shut. Muffled hearing symptoms brought on by infections will normally go away after the underlying illness has been dealt with.
- Age-associated hearing loss: Most people will experience decreasing hearing as they get older. Needless to say, when you’re 80 all of your senses will be less sharp than when you were 18. This normal decline in your hearing ability can cause muffled hearing over time.
The precise symptoms of muffled hearing will differ depending on the base cause.
Is there a cure for muffled hearing?
Some types of muffled hearing can’t be cured. The treatment for your muffled hearing will change depending on the root cause. For example, if excessive earwax buildup is the main cause, we may use specific tools to help you clear out your ear canal. Antibiotics are usually prescribed if your muffled hearing is being caused by an infection.
Symptom management is generally the strategy when you have sensorineural hearing loss as opposed to a cure. That’s because there’s no cure for sensorineural hearing loss. But it is possible to manage symptoms. There might be numerous strategies to this treatment including a pair of hearing aids.
With hearing aids, you can keep enjoying your daily activities without hearing loss impacting your quality of life.
Avoiding muffled hearing
No matter what you do, some forms of muffled hearing can’t be avoided. Infections, for instance, can’t always be avoided.
Having your hearing tested, however, can help detect any causes of muffled hearing and can help avoid any long-term hearing loss that might be developing. These checkups can help you stay on top of your hearing health and get treatment promptly.