A detailed explanation about the causes of muffled hearing and what to do about it.For more information, please visit www.everydayhearing.com

2. Muffled Hearing
• Can be sudden or gradual
• In one ear or both ears
• Can affect anyone at any age
• Causes difficulty hearing or understanding
conversations, especially in background noise.

3. Cause of Muffled Hearing
• Wax, water or debris clogging the ear
• Asymmetric hearing loss
• Ear Infection
• Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
• Noise-induced hearing loss
• High-frequency hearing loss

4. Wax, Water, Debris
Wax may build up in the ear over
time.
Water from swimming and
showering can become trapped in
the ear canal.
Other debris (such as a cotton
swab) can get stuck in the ear.
See an ENT or Audiologist to have
the wax, water, or debris cleaned
from the ear.

5. Asymmetric Hearing Loss
Hearing is worse in one ear over the other.
When there is a sudden difference in hearing
between the ears, the brain gets confused by
incoming sounds.
You may notice a “full” or “plugged” feeling in the
poorer ear.
The poorer ear will sound muffled compared to the
good ear.

6. Ear Infection
A middle ear or outer ear infection will muffle
your hearing in the affected ear.
The bacterial or fungal infection will clog the ear,
making hearing more difficult.
This is usually temporary until the infection
clears.
Ear infections should be treated by a physician.

7. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD)
There is a small tube (the Eustachian tube) that
connects the ear to the nose and throat. It is
responsible for equalizing the air pressure in the
ear.
If the Eustachian tube gets blocked, your hearing
will sound muffled in the affected ear. This is
called Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and is
usually temporary.

8. Noise-induced
Hearing Loss
After a loud concert or event, you can
experience a temporary threshold shift,
or a temporary decline in hearing.
This will make your hearing sound
muffled.
It may be difficult to understand
conversations clearly for several days
after the loud event.
Repeated exposure to loud sounds can
cause permanent muffled hearing.

9. High-frequency Hearing Loss
Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds.
The consonant sounds of speech, such as K, T, F, S, SH, are
high-pitched sounds.
With a high-frequency hearing loss, you are unable to hear
these speech sounds clearly.
Your hearing will sound muffled and it may sound like people
are mumbling.
Hearing aids can help alleviate this muffled hearing.

10. For more information visit:
http://www.everydayhearing.com/hearing-loss/why-is-my-hearing-muffled/