Muffled hearing can happen for a wide variety of reasons. In the majority of instances, this condition is short-term. But muffled hearing can also be a sign that a more serious hearing problem is happening. In part, that’s because, outside of sudden hearing loss, hearing loss is usually not a condition that develops suddenly. Symptoms develop gradually and over 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 people experience muffled hearing.
Maybe you’re wondering if you should be concerned about your muffled hearing. Generally, the answer varies. Understanding the root cause of your muffled hearing is critical to finding the best treatment strategy. Additional damage can be prevented and your hearing can get back to normal with some quick solutions. 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.
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. A rather noticeable reduction in sound fidelity is the outcome. Hearing won’t be completely gone with muffled hearing but things will sound distorted and quieter. This might particularly impact your ability to hear and understand voices and spoken language.
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 have a cold you may experience this feeling. This plugged feeling, however, doesn’t always come along with muffled hearing.
What causes muffled hearing?
Muffled hearing can be caused by all kinds of problems. Figuring out the underlying cause of your muffled hearing can be significant in establishing an effective treatment plan. Some of the most common causes of muffled hearing include the following:
- Hearing loss related to age: As you get older, your hearing can decline as a result of natural causes. After all, there are few senses as sharp when you are 80 as when you are 18. This natural decline in your ability to hear can cause muffled hearing over time.
- Infection: Sometimes, problems such as infections (including sinus infections or ear infections) can result in inflammation in the ear canal (this is especially true with ear infections). This will diminish your hearing ability by causing the ear canal to swell shut. Muffled hearing symptoms due to infections will usually clear up once the underlying illness has been treated.
- Meniere’s Disease: Meniere’s Disease is a chronic balance and hearing issue. Over time, this disease can trigger tinnitus, loss of hearing (frequently starting with muffled hearing), and dizziness or loss of balance. The symptoms of Menier’s disease can be treated but not cured.
- 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 result of excess earwax. 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 pack the wax further up into the ear canal. We can help if the issue persists.
- Travel: Altitude changes, such as when you’re on a plane, can cause a feeling of muffled ears. In most cases, this feeling will go away quickly and your normal hearing will be restored.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss which results from noise damage can sometimes cause muffled hearing. Unfortunately, this form of hearing loss is normally irreversible. Muffled hearing is frequently one of the first detectable symptoms; but by the time you notice the distorted sounds, damage to your stereocilia has probably already occurred. You should seek out treatment promptly to avoid your hearing getting significantly worse quickly.
The precise symptoms of muffled hearing will vary depending on the underlying cause.
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. For example, if excess earwax buildup is the principal cause, we may use specific tools to help you clean out your ear canal. Muffled hearing caused by an ear infection will likely clear up once the infection has been addressed, so antibiotics are frequently prescribed.
In terms of sensorineural hearing loss, the focus changes to symptom management as opposed to a complete cure. That’s because there’s no cure for sensorineural hearing loss. But it is possible to control symptoms. There may be numerous approaches to this treatment including a pair of hearing aids.
With hearing aids, you can continue to enjoy your day-to-day activities without hearing loss effecting your quality of life.
Avoiding muffled hearing
Some forms of muffled hearing are difficult to avoid, no matter what. For example, ear infections and sinus infections are hard to easily avoid.
Getting your hearing tested, however, can help identify any causes of muffled hearing and can help avoid any long-term hearing loss that may be developing. These checkups can help you stay on top of your hearing health and get treatment quickly.