Muffled hearing can happen for a large number of reasons. In the majority of instances, this condition is temporary. In other cases, muffled hearing can be a harbinger of more substantial hearing-related issues. That’s because, in general, hearing loss is a gradually progressing condition. Symptoms build slowly and over time.
One of the first symptoms of gradually progressing long-term hearing loss is the feeling that your hearing is muffled. However, it’s significant to mention that muffled hearing in and of itself isn’t always an indication of permanent hearing loss. Each year millions of individuals experience muffled hearing.
Maybe you’re wondering if you should be worried about your muffled hearing. The answer depends on several factors. Finding the best treatment for your muffled hearing depends on recognizing the root cause. Prompt solutions can sometimes help get your hearing back to normal, or, at least reduce possible damage. You will be able to go back to enjoying the sounds of your life after you get us to assist 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 results in a noticeable drop in sound quality. In most cases, 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 tough.
In many instances, and depending on the underlying cause, muffled hearing can be accompanied by a sense of fullness or stuffiness in your ears. Many individuals have experienced this feeling temporarily, for example, when they have a cold or are taking a flight. This plugged feeling, however, doesn’t always come with muffled hearing.
What causes muffled hearing?
There are lots of possible causes of muffled hearing. In order to establish the correct course of treatment, it’s important to establish the root cause. Some of the most common causes of muffled hearing include the following:
- Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss which results from noise-related damage can sometimes bring about muffled hearing. This form of hearing loss is, unfortunately, usually irreversible. Muffled hearing is frequently one of the very first noticeable symptoms; but damage to your stereocilia has likely already happened by the time you notice the distorted sounds. If you don’t find treatment quickly, your hearing will rapidly get worse.
- Infection: Swelling of the ear canal will often accompany problems like ear infections or sinus infections. This swelling can cause your ear canal to swell shut, effectively decreasing your ability to hear. Once the root infection clears, any inflammation it caused should also clear.
- 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 normal hearing will be restored.
- Meniere’s Disease: When you have Menier’s Disease, you suffer from chronic hearing and balance problems. Dizziness, balance issues, tinnitus, and muffled ears will develop over time as a result of this disease. There’s no cure for Meniere’s Disease, but symptoms can be managed.
- Hearing loss related to age: As you age, your hearing can decline as a result of natural causes. Obviously, when you’re 80 all of your senses will be less sharp than when you were 18. Over time, muffled hearing can be the consequence of this natural decline of your hearing.
- Earwax buildup: Earwax is generally a helpful thing. The health of your ear canal relies on the generation of earwax. However, too much earwax can ultimately cause muffled hearing (or even hearing loss). This earwax can usually be loosened up by using a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide. Never attempt to dislodge stuck earwax with a cotton swab which will only push the wax further up into the ear canal. We can help if the problem persists.
Depending on the root cause, the exact symptoms of muffled hearing will differ.
Can muffled hearing be cured?
Not all kinds of muffled hearing have a cure. The root cause of your muffled hearing will establish the treatment method. We may use some specialized tools to help clean out your ear canal if, for instance, earwax accumulation is at the root of your muffled hearing. Antibiotics are typically prescribed if your muffled hearing is being caused by an infection.
In terms of sensorineural hearing loss, the emphasis changes to symptom management instead of a complete cure. That’s because sensorineural hearing loss can not be cured. But it is possible to control symptoms. This may take several forms, but the most common is the use of a set of hearing aids so that you can bring clarity to what you hear.
Hearing aids can help you stay connected to loved ones and go about your day-to-day activities without a significantly noticeable effect, particularly when this process is started quickly.
Avoiding muffled hearing
No matter what you do, some forms of muffled hearing can’t be prevented. For instance, ear infections and sinus infections are hard to easily avoid.
However, in most cases, routine hearing tests can help you steer clear of many of the causes of muffled hearing and identify any permanent hearing loss early. Call us for an appointment right away.
