Muffled hearing can happen for a wide variety of reasons. In most instances, this situation is short-term. In other cases, muffled hearing can be a harbinger of more significant hearing-related issues. Partly, that’s because, aside from sudden hearing loss, hearing loss is usually not a condition that develops suddenly. Symptoms appear gradually over a long period of time.
One of the first symptoms of gradually developing 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 is not always an indication of permanent hearing loss. Every year millions of people experience muffled hearing.
You may be wondering: when should I be concerned about muffled hearing? The answer depends on several factors. Understanding the root cause of your muffled hearing is essential to finding the best treatment strategy. Additional damage can be prevented and your hearing can get back to normal with some prompt solutions. Calling us for a consultation can help you begin this process, typically resulting in successful treatments, so you can keep enjoying the sounds of your everyday life.
What is muffled hearing?
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, those with muffled hearing can still hear some or even most things, but everything sounds quieter or distorted. Discerning speech and language can be particularly challenging.
In many instances, and depending on the root cause, muffled hearing can be accompanied by a sense of fullness or stuffiness in your ears. Sometimes, when you’re on a plane or suffering from a cold you might experience this feeling. Muffled hearing is not always associated with this feeling, however.
What causes muffled hearing?
Muffled hearing can be caused by all kinds of problems. In order to develop the suitable course of treatment, it’s essential to figure out the root cause. Here are a few of the most common causes:
- Meniere’s Disease: Meniere’s Disease is a chronic balance and hearing problem. Dizziness, balance issues, 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.
- Earwax buildup: Usually, earwax is a positive thing. It helps keep your ear canal healthy. But muffled hearing (and in some instances even hearing loss) can be the result of too much earwax. Try a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your ear to loosen the wax up. Do not use a cotton swab to try to dislodge the earwax, as cotton swabs can compact your earwax and make the problem worse. We can help if the issue persists.
- Infection: Inflammation of the ear canal will frequently come with issues like ear infections or sinus infections. This will decrease your ability to hear by causing the ear canal to swell shut. Once the underlying infection clears, any swelling it caused should also clear.
- Hearing loss related to age: Most individuals will experience decreasing hearing as they get older. After all, there are few senses as sharp when you are 80 as they were when you are 18. This natural decline in your hearing ability can cause muffled hearing over time.
- 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 fairly quickly once your physical conditions return to normal.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: In some cases, muffled hearing can be the result of noise-related hearing loss. Regrettably, this kind of hearing loss is normally irreversible. One of the very first recognizable symptoms is muffled hearing; but by the time you detect the distorted sounds, damage to your stereocilia has most likely already taken place. If you don’t find treatment quickly, your hearing will rapidly get worse.
The precise symptoms of muffled hearing will differ depending on the root cause.
Is there a cure for muffled hearing?
Some types of muffled hearing can’t be cured. The underlying cause of your muffled hearing will establish the treatment method. We might use some special tools to help clean out your ear canal if, for example, earwax buildup is at the root of your muffled hearing. Antibiotics are frequently prescribed if your muffled hearing is being caused by an infection.
In terms of sensorineural hearing loss, the focus changes to symptom management as opposed to a total cure. That’s because there’s no cure for sensorineural hearing loss. However, symptoms can be managed. There may be several approaches to this treatment including a set of hearing aids.
Hearing aids can help you remain connected to loved ones and tackle your day-to-day activities without a substantially noticeable effect, especially when this process is started quickly.
Avoiding muffled hearing
Some forms of muffled hearing are hard to avoid, no matter what. For instance, ear infections and sinus infections are difficult to reliably avoid.
However, in most cases, routine hearing tests can help you steer clear of many of the causes of muffled hearing and detect any permanent hearing loss early. These examinations can help you stay on top of your hearing health and get treatment quickly.