Muffled Hearing
Muffled hearing is characterized by reduced ability to appropriately discern sounds. In some instances, people who have this would have difficulty to hear certain sound frequencies. However, this does not necessarily mean that hearing loss or deafening has occurred.
More often than not, this is due to some plugs in the ear canal.
Muffled Hearing Causes
Although common causes of muffled hearing are minor conditions, some can be severe. The following includes the usual culprit to this condition:
-
Earwax – It is the most frequent cause of muffled hearing due to too much build up of earwax. This earwax buildup clogs the entry of sound into the ear. Those who do not clean their ears for a very long time would experience this and removal of the earwax plug can be carried out by an ear doctor or through a removal kit.
-
Breaking of the eardrum – When the eardrum breaks or becomes torn down, it results to muffled hearing.
Those who suffered from head injury usually experience this. -
Ear infection – The muffled hearing occurring from ear infection usually happens following a common cold. The infection spreads from the nose, mouth and eventually spreads through the ear.
-
Otitis media – This is also known as glue ear which infects the middle ear and causes muffled hearing. When fluids are caught due to this infection, the ear passageway can be blocked and hearing difficulty occurs depending on the fluid thickness.
-
Tumor growth – Once there is an abnormal growth in the ear canal, passage way for sound becomes restricted. This results to hearing problems.
How to Fix Muffled Hearing
Here are simple steps to be followed to remedy muffled hearing:
-
When muffled hearing transpires after taking a shower or swimming, immediately let the affected ear checked. This is to see if fluid has entered. Simply leaning towards the shoulder of the affected side can drain the water out.
-
Using a clean cotton buds, gently clean off the ear wax. This will reduce wax buildup; just make sure to use sterile buds.
-
Ear wax softening solution can help irrigate wax when dropped into the ear. This can be bought in the nearest drugstores and comes in kit which contains a rubber bulb that is used when irrigating, along with an instruction material.
-
Stress and tension of muscles surrounding the ear can affect the sense of hearing. So, it helps to relax these parts through rest, gentle massage and warm bath.