Muffled hearing can happen for a large number of reasons. For most individuals, it’s a short-term situation. But muffled hearing can also be an indication that a more serious hearing problem is taking place. In part, that’s because, aside from sudden hearing loss, hearing loss is generally not a condition that develops suddenly. Symptoms develop slowly over a long period of time.
One of the earliest symptoms of gradually progressing long-term hearing loss is the feeling that your hearing is muffled. Muffled hearing, however, isn’t necessarily an indication that you’re developing permanent hearing loss. Every year millions of individuals experience muffled hearing.
Perhaps you’re wondering if you should be concerned about your muffled hearing. The answer depends on various factors. Recognizing the root cause of your muffled hearing is crucial to finding the right treatment strategy. Timely solutions can in some cases help get your hearing back to normal, or, at least reduce possible harm. You will be able to go back to enjoying the sounds of your life after you get us to help you with some successful treatments.
What is muffled hearing?
When sound can’t travel through your outer, middle, and inner ear in a normal way, your hearing can sound muffled. This leads to a noticeable decrease in sound quality. Hearing won’t be entirely gone with muffled hearing but things will sound distorted and quieter. This might particularly affect your ability to hear and understand voices and spoken language.
In many cases, and depending on the root cause, muffled hearing can be associated with a sense of fullness or stuffiness in your ears. Sometimes, when you’re taking a flight or suffering from a cold you may experience this feeling. This plugged feeling, however, doesn’t always come along with muffled hearing.
What causes muffled hearing?
There are lots of potential causes of muffled hearing. In order to develop the correct course of treatment, it’s essential to determine the root cause. Here are some of the most common causes:
- Infection: In some cases, problems such as infections (including sinus infections or ear infections) can result in swelling in the ear canal (this is particularly true with ear infections). This inflammation can cause your ear canal to swell shut, effectively decreasing your ability to hear. Muffled hearing symptoms due to infections will normally clear up after the underlying illness has been dealt with.
- Earwax buildup: Usually, earwax is a positive thing. It helps keep your ear canal healthy. But muffled hearing (and in some cases even hearing loss) can be the result of excess earwax. Try a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your ear to loosen the wax up. Never try to free stuck earwax with a cotton swab which will only push the wax further up into the ear canal. We can help if the issue persists.
- Travel: Altitude changes, like when you’re on a plane, can lead to a feeling of muffled ears. In most cases, this feeling will go away rapidly and your hearing will go back to normal.
- Meniere’s Disease: When you have Menier’s Disease, you suffer from persistent hearing and balance problems. Dizziness, balance problems, tinnitus, and muffled ears will manifest over time as a result of this disease. The symptoms of Menier’s disease can be managed but not cured.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss which results from noise damage can sometimes cause muffled hearing. Unfortunately, this form of hearing loss is normally permanent. Muffled hearing is frequently one of the first detectable symptoms; but damage to your stereocilia has usually already happened by the time you detect the distorted sounds. If you don’t seek out treatment quickly, your hearing will rapidly get worse.
- Hearing loss associated with age: As you get older, your hearing can decline due to natural causes. Obviously, when you’re 80 all of your senses will be less sharp than when you were 18. This natural decline in your hearing ability can cause muffled hearing over time.
Depending on the root cause, the precise symptoms of muffled hearing will vary.
Is there a cure for muffled hearing?
Some forms of muffled hearing can’t be cured. The base cause of your muffled hearing will determine the treatment strategy. For instance, if excess earwax buildup is the main cause, we may use specific tools to help you clear out your ear canal. Muffled hearing caused by an ear infection will typically clear up once the infection has been managed, so antibiotics are frequently prescribed.
Symptom management is generally the strategy when you have sensorineural hearing loss rather than a cure. That’s because sensorineural hearing loss can not be reversed. 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 continue to enjoy your daily activities without hearing loss effecting your quality of life.
How to avoid muffled hearing in the first place
No matter what you do, certain kinds of muffled hearing can’t be avoided. Infections, for instance, can’t always be avoided.
Having your hearing examined, however, can help identify any causes of muffled hearing and can help avoid any long-term hearing loss that might be developing. Call us for an appointment right away.