What Is Muffled Hearing? Symptoms, Causes And Treatments (2024)

“Muffled hearing occurs when sound cannot travel through the outer ear, middle ear or inner ear as efficiently as [it did] previously.” explains Amy Sarow, Au.D., a Forbes Health Advisory Board member and Michigan-based audiologist. “We describe the sound as muffled once we notice a change in hearing and the volume seems softer than before,” she continues.

Muffled hearing can negatively affect one’s hearing ability—and possibly lead to muffled speech. Typical symptoms include distorted hearing and a “clogged ear” feeling. Distinguished as either temporary or permanent, individuals faced with the impairment may initially experience these symptoms for days or weeks at a time.

Muffled hearing is recognizable by a variety of symptoms, including:

• Difficulty hearing or being able to decipher certain sounds
• Hearing muffled, unclear sounds
• Pain in the ear
• Feeling as though a cotton ball is in the ear
• Feelings of fullness in the ear
• Discharge in the ear
• Ringing in the ears

Various causes of muffled hearing may either lead to temporary or permanent damage. “The etiology [or origins] will determine its course,” says Dr. Sarow.

Temporary Muffled Hearing

“A common cause of temporary muffled hearing is a blockage in the middle ear, typically due to fluid buildup from a cold, an ear infection or allergies,” says Dr. Sarow. A middle ear infection known as otitis media can also lead to a temporary blockage in the middle ear, which can cause significant hearing loss if left untreated.

Ear wax buildup can contribute to blockages as well, but a removal procedure can help resolve the temporary muffling. The same goes for other blockages. “A healthy middle ear space is filled with air rather than fluid,” says Dr. Sarow. “Once the fluid resolves, hearing is restored.”

There are three types of hearing loss: sensorineural, conductive and mixed. Sensorineural, the most common type, occurs when inner ear hearing loss reduces one’s hearing volume and degree of clarity. Conductive hearing loss affects the middle and/or outer ear. All types are prone to causing either temporary or permanent muffled hearing sensations.

Temporary muffling may also emerge with certain health conditions, including:

• Meniere’s disease. This inner ear disease often presents with symptoms ranging from vertigo to fluctuating hearing loss, according to Dr. Sarow.
• Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED). Bouts of muffled hearing are a common symptom of AIED, says Dr. Sarow.
• Otosclerosis. Defined as a bony growth in the middle ear space, Dr. Sarow suggests otosclerosis can result in gradual muffled hearing.

Loud noises are another common cause of temporary muffled hearing. Damage to sensitive parts of the inner ear can cause noise-induced hearing loss. “If you’ve been to a concert and left with ringing in the ears and muffled hearing, [these symptoms are] evidence of damage to your auditory system,” shares Dr. Sarow. “Also known as a temporary threshold shift, this muffled hearing may resolve within 48 hours of the exposure.” However, permanent damage may ensue in recurring cases or after just one high-intensity incident.

Other causes of temporary muffled hearing include sudden changes in altitude and air pressure (known as airplane ear) and bacterial infections caused by excess water retention in the ears (known as otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear).

Permanent Muffled Hearing

“A sudden and permanent change in hearing may be due to sudden sensorineural hearing loss or, in rare cases, a benign growth on the auditory nerve,” says Dr. Sarow. She adds that a middle ear condition, such as an eardrum perforation that cannot heal, can also sometimes result in permanent muffled hearing. Eardrum (or tympanic membrane) perforation occurs when your eardrum ruptures, creating a hole between the middle and external ear.

Other causes of permanent muffled healing include exposure to gunfire or explosions and age-related hearing loss,such as presbycusis, she shares.

Muffled hearing can occur in one or both ears. When the condition occurs in one ear, it’s likely a sign of a single-sided ear infection, a clogged ear or earwax buildup. Muffled hearing due to sinus infections or changes in pressure while flying or changing altitudes typically occurs in both ears.

In some cases, muffled hearing in one ear may be a sign of hearing loss in one ear. In this instance, it’s important to consult a hearing health provider who can conduct a hearing exam and determine a diagnosis and treatment plan.

“Muffled hearing can significantly impact an individual’s ability to communicate and understand spoken language,” shares Allison Treseder, Au.D., an audiologist for the United States Army Reserve. “It can also make it difficult to distinguish between similar-sounding words or syllables, which may lead to difficulty interpreting what’s being said.”

In terms of cognition, muffled hearing can affect one’s success in navigating both personal and professional activities. “[The impairment] can impact daily activities, such as listening to lectures, participating in meetings or following directions, which could lead to difficulty learning and performing certain tasks,” says Dr. Treseder. She further suggests that this challenge may drive affected individuals to isolate and avoid social situations.

You may also experience muffled hearing differently depending on your type of hearing loss. “One difference with sensorineural hearing loss is that once the volume is increased enough to overcome [the] blockage from the fluid, speech is still clear,” adds Dr. Sarow. “[Meanwhile], for a person with conductive hearing loss, if you turn the volume up by 20 decibels (or however much it is reducing hearing), the sound will be just as clear as before.”

Muffled hearing can be temporary—lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the cause—or a permanent condition. Temporary cases of muffled hearing typically include muffled hearing caused by an illness, such as congestion or a sinus infection, or due to an ear infection, swimmer’s ear, a blockage in the ear or changes in altitude and pressure while flying.

Permanent cases of muffled hearing are usually caused by sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, in which case it’s necessary to treat the hearing loss with methods of amplification, such as a hearing aid, to help improve a person’s quality of life.

Dealing with muffled hearing can be a frustrating experience. If you want to treat it properly, start by visiting a hearing health professional for a comprehensive exam and diagnosis. “Muffled hearing can be diagnosed by a health care professional through a physical examination of the ear and a hearing test,” says Dr. Sarow. The health care professional—typically an audiologist—will likely perform a hearing test during the examination.

A hearing test is normally performed with an otoscope, a medical instrument used to look inside the ear for signs of infection or blockage due to wax buildup, explains Dr. Treseder. “[This test] will measure the ability to hear different tones and varying volumes,” she says. Ultimately, the doctor should provide an accurate diagnosis of the type and degree of hearing loss.

Common treatments for conditions that cause muffled hearing include:

• Earwax (or cerumen) removal
• Antibiotics
• Surgical intervention
• Hearing aids

Before seeking treatment for muffled hearing, visit a hearing health professional for a formal diagnosis and assistance in determining the best course of action. When choosing the best treatment for you, your health care provider will need to consider the origins of your muffled hearing.

“Treatment will depend on the etiology,” says Dr. Sarow. “For example, an ear infection may require antibiotics to heal properly, while treatment for cholesteatoma [a type of cyst] requires surgical intervention.” With earwax buildup, Dr. Sarow shares that a professional removal procedure should resolve the issue of muffled hearing quickly.What to

What to Do If You Wake Up With Muffled Hearing

If you wake up with muffled hearing, or symptoms you think may be related to muffled hearing, it’s best to consult your health care provider or a hearing health professional who can help determine a diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.

In some cases, muffled hearing may resolve in a few hours, such as in cases of congestion or a mild cold. However, if muffled hearing persists, it’s best to seek care from a medical professional, as the earlier the condition is diagnosed, the better chance you have of receiving successful treatment.

Early detection of muffled hearing can help increase your chances of a successful treatment outcome. “It’s important to see a doctor if muffled hearing persists and doesn’t improve after a few days,” confirms Dr. Treseder. “Additionally, it’s important to seek medical advice if the muffled hearing is accompanied by other symptoms, such as ringing in the ear, dizziness, ear pain, fever or drainage from the affected ear. The earlier you take action, the better.”