Muffled hearing may resolve on its own in cases like altitude or air pressure changes. However, when caused by congestion, sinus infection, an ear infection or other medical issues, treatment from a health care provider is advisable.
In many cases, a muffled ear will go away on its own. This is especially true for conditions like airplane ear, or sickness-related hearing loss. Even certain ear infections will resolve themselves if given time, but there are some instances where you should not wait to seek medical treatment.
Clogged ears from a mild ear infection usually last one or two weeks. If the problems are in the inner ear, this could last longer. Mild ear infections clear up by themselves, and you can alleviate the pain with painkillers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, ear drops, or simply by applying a warm cloth to your ear.
A few drops of mineral oil, baby oil, glycerin, or hydrogen peroxide in your ear can soften the wax and help clear it out. If that doesn't work, see your doctor. They may use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water to try to flush it out or use special tools to remove the wax and improve your hearing.
“It's important to see a doctor if muffled hearing persists and doesn't improve after a few days,” confirms Dr. Treseder.
Why is sound muffled when there doesn't appear to be anything inside your ear canal? The causes can range from the earwax to allergies to infections (yes, including COVID) to more insidious conditions like an anxiety disorder or Meniere's disease.
In almost all cases, your blockage will clear itself up after a few days. But the general rule of thumb is that if things persist for more than a week or so, it might be a good decision to come in for a consultation. Early indications of hearing loss can also feel like blocked ears.
For most people, blocked ears are a temporary condition that will clear up when the pressure in the ears returns to normal. However, if this doesn't happen a visit to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) professional may be helpful.
If your ear feels clogged and muffled, you may have a Middle Ear Infection, also known as Otitis Media. You may even see fluid visibly draining from the ear, and it will probably also be sensitive to touch. In more severe cases, it can cause nausea and vomit.
What are the causes of clogged ears? Eustachian tube blockage. The eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the throat, can become blocked when fluid or mucus is trapped. Oftentimes, this occurs when experiencing seasonal allergies, a cold or sinus or ear infection.
Causes of Sudden Hearing Loss
If fluid buildup behind the eardrum is not treated in a timely manner, it can eventually cause enough pressure to rupture the membrane. Sudden hearing loss is less often caused by more serious conditions. These can include viruses, tumors and strokes in the inner ear.
Hearing loss, reduced hearing, deafness, and plugged ears are common symptoms of anxiety that can be experienced in a number of ways and can vary from person to person.
When the ears are clogged, it can cause pain and discomfort and affect hearing and balance. Call your ENT doctor if you experience severe symptoms with clogged ears, or if symptoms persist for more than two weeks.
Your health care provider can remove excess wax by using a small, curved tool called a curet or by using suction techniques. Your provider can also flush out the wax using a syringe filled with warm water and saline or diluted hydrogen peroxide.
If your ears do not pop and you feel like they are clogged or you are experiencing significant ear pain, see a healthcare provider. You should also see a healthcare provider at once if you have symptoms of a ruptured eardrum.
If you have earwax buildup, certain ear drops can soften and loosen your earwax for easier removal. There are three types of softening drops for earwax: water-based, non-water-based and oil-based. If you have impacted earwax, a healthcare provider may recommend ear drops containing: Carbamide peroxide.
Allergies, head colds, pregnancy, and air pressure are some common reasons it may feel like your ears are full. Typically, plugged ears settle after a few days. Decongestants and nasal sprays are the best treatment for plugged ears that allergies and head colds cause.
Chronic stress can lead to gradual hearing loss, sudden hearing loss, and even tinnitus. The symptoms of hearing loss that's due to stress include: Pain or pressure in the ear. Muffled sounds.
Ear stroke is also known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss. In as short as three days, the patients will suddenly lose part or all of their hearing ability. Meanwhile, they may experience sudden dizziness, tinnitus and earache.
Because they grow slowly over some years, you don't usually have symptoms for some time. When you do have symptoms, they can be: hearing loss that usually affects one ear. ringing and buzzing sounds in 1 or both ears (tinnitus)
People with an acoustic neuroma might have a sensation of fullness in the ear, as if water is in it. This sensation is typically caused by the hearing loss from the tumor.