Muffled Hearing & Hearing Damage - Treatment Options |GA Hear

Commonly described as having a feeling of fullness or cotton balls lodged in the ear, muffled hearing can be a singular symptom or be paired with others like pain, ringing, or pressure. In many cases, it can go away on its own, but there are some causes of muffled hearing that need to be addressed by a doctor.

What Causes Ear Fullness or Muffled Hearing?

There are many potential causes of muffled hearing besides the onset of hearing loss, although hearing loss could be the culprit for those who haven’t had a hearing test in a long time. Most commonly, muffled hearing is caused by earwax buildup or an infection in the middle ear or sinuses.

Muffled hearing may also be caused by so-called airplane ear, in which there’s a pressure difference between your middle ear and external environment.

How to Fix Muffled Hearing

The solution for muffled hearing depends on its cause. When it’s caused by ear wax or a foreign object blocking the ear canal, simply removing the blockage can restore proper hearing. In cases of infection, antibacterial drugs can be used to fight the infection and heal the affected area. Airplane ear can be solved by equalizing the pressure in the inner ear by opening the eustachian tubes by swallowing or moving your jaw.

Muffled hearing caused by hearing loss may not be able to be reversed, but it can be mitigated by getting a hearing aid that’s tailored to your needs and type of hearing loss.

Muffled Hearing and Hearing Loss

Muffled hearing can be a sign of hearing loss of multiple types, especially if the symptom is consistent and long-lasting. A common type of age-related hearing loss is called presbycusis, in which higher pitches are more muffled than lower ones. This leads to symptoms such as finding it difficult to hear voices in loud environments, difficulty hearing women’s voices or high-pitched tones, and ear ringing.

Fortunately, with a custom-fit hearing aid, people with presbycusis can get the amplification they need to continue living their lifestyle the way they want to.

Hearing Testing in Georgia

Finding out if you have age-related or some other type of hearing loss is as simple as scheduling a hearing test at one of our convenient Georgia Hearing Aid Factory Outlet locations in Athens, Cobb County, and Dawsonville, serving patients in communities such as Cumming, Oak Grove, or Bethlehem. Our compassionate specialists will run a comprehensive set of hearing tests to find out what would best benefit you to restore normal hearing ability. Call us or contact us online today to get started with finding the best hearing aid for you!

Dawsonville, GA

  (706) 525-5463

Kennesaw, GA

  (770) 284-4640

Flowery Branch, GA

  (678) 616-2724

Atlanta, GA

  678 743-9586

Tucker, GA

  770 462-0182

Contact Us