Muffled hearing can present for a large number of reasons. For the majority of people, it’s a temporary experience. But muffled hearing can also be a sign that a more serious hearing problem is occurring. That’s because, in general, hearing loss is a gradually progressing condition. Symptoms develop gradually and over time.
One of the first symptoms of slowly advancing long-term hearing loss is the sense that your hearing is muffled. However, it’s significant to point out that muffled hearing in and of itself is not always a sign of long-term hearing loss. Indeed, millions of individuals experience muffled hearing every year.
You may be wondering: when do I need to be worried about muffled hearing? Generally, the answer tends to vary. Finding the correct treatment for your muffled hearing depends on recognizing the underlying cause. Additional damage can be avoided and your hearing can get back to normal with some prompt solutions. 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 everyday life.
Muffled Hearing – what exactly is it?
When sound can’t travel through your outer, middle, and inner ear in a normal way, your hearing can sound muffled. A rather noticeable reduction in sound fidelity is the outcome. In the majority of cases, those with muffled hearing can still hear some or even most things, but everything sounds quieter or distorted. This may especially impact your ability to hear and understand voices and spoken language.
Your ears will frequently also feel plugged up when your hearing is muffled. Sometimes, when you’re taking a flight or have a cold you may experience this feeling. Muffled hearing is not always combined with this feeling, however.
Causes of muffled hearing
Muffled hearing can be caused by a wide variety of problems. In order to develop the appropriate course of treatment, it’s important to figure out the root cause. Here are several of the most prevalent causes:
- Hearing loss associated with age: As you get older, your hearing can decline due to natural causes. Needless to say, when you’re 80 all of your senses will be less acute than when you were 18. This natural decline in your hearing ability can cause muffled hearing over time.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: In some cases, muffled hearing can be the outcome of noise-related hearing loss. Sadly, this kind of hearing loss is normally irreversible. Muffled hearing is often one of the first noticeable symptoms; but by the time you notice the distorted sounds, damage to your stereocilia has probably already occurred. If you don’t seek out treatment quickly, your hearing will rapidly get worse.
- Infection: Inflammation of the ear canal will often come with problems like ear infections or sinus infections. This will decrease your hearing ability by causing the ear canal to swell shut. Muffled hearing symptoms caused by infections will typically go away once the underlying illness has been treated.
- 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.
- Meniere’s Disease: Meniere’s Disease is a long-term balance and hearing issue. Over time, this disease can trigger tinnitus, loss of hearing (frequently beginning with muffled hearing), and dizziness or loss of balance. There’s no cure for Meniere’s Disease, but symptoms can be managed.
- Earwax buildup: Earwax is generally a helpful thing. The health of your ear canal depends on the generation of earwax. But muffled hearing (and in some instances even hearing loss) can be the consequence of too much earwax. This earwax can typically be loosened up by using a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide. Never try to free stuck earwax by using a cotton swab which will only push the wax further up into the ear canal. If the issue lingers, come in and see us.
Depending on the root cause, the precise symptoms of muffled hearing will vary.
Can muffled hearing be cured?
Some forms of muffled hearing can’t be cured. The treatment for your muffled hearing will change depending on the base cause. For instance, if excessive earwax buildup is the primary cause, we may use specific tools to help you clear out your ear canal. Muffled hearing caused by an ear infection will likely clear up once the infection has been treated, so antibiotics are usually prescribed.
Symptom management is generally the approach when you’re dealing with sensorineural hearing loss rather than a cure. That’s because there’s no cure for sensorineural hearing loss. However, symptoms can be managed. This may take several forms, but the most prevalent is using a pair of hearing aids so that you can bring clarity to what you hear.
Hearing aids can help you stay connected to loved ones and tackle your daily activities without a significantly noticeable effect, especially when this process is started promptly.
How to steer clear of muffled hearing in the first place
Some types of muffled hearing are difficult to avoid, no matter what. For example, ear infections and sinus infections are hard to easily avoid.
However, in most cases, regular hearing tests can help you avoid many of the causes of muffled hearing and detect any permanent hearing loss early. Call us for an appointment right away.