You’ve been looking forward to this all week: a Zoom call with your son and daughter-in-law. You’ll have a blast and catch-up with your cherished family members.
But when the call starts, you are horrified to realize, you can’t hear what your family members are saying. Your hearing aids are in, but everything seems muffled.
You can’t believe how frustrated you are.
Modern marvels muffled
Modern hearing aids are celebrated for their ability to produce very clear sounds. So when that doesn’t happen, that can be very discouraging. Hearing aids are designed to help you hear better, right? But your hearing aids are not helping your hearing. Actually, they’re making everything sound muffled. The problem may not be the hearing aid at all.
What’s causing that muffling?
So why do voices sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher if your hearing aids are working properly? Well, there are a couple things you can do to fix the problem.
Earwax
If I had a nickel for every problem that earwax has caused (in general, not me personally), I’d be a rich (but still cranky) man. The problem with your hearing aid could be an accumulation of earwax against the microphone. Amplification is muffled when earwax hinders your hearing aid’s ability to pick up sound.
You may be able to determine if earwax is the problem by:
- Visually look over your hearing aids. Don’t simply put your hearing aid in without taking a good look at it. If you see earwax, try to clean it off.
- Turning the hearing aid on. The problem is likely to be the microphone (probably wax accumulation) and not the speaker if all of the start-up sounds are normal when you turn on the hearing aid.
It’s also possible that earwax has built up not on your hearing aid but in your ear. Make sure, in those instances, you safely clean out your ears (cotton swabs are not recommended). The troubleshooting will have to continue if the muffled sound remains even after you’ve cleaned your ears and your hearing aid.
Infection
Infection will be the next thing to consider if earwax isn’t accountable. In many cases, this could be a common ear infection. Or it may be an inner ear infection. In both situations, a hearing assessment is suggested.
Ear infections of various kinds and causes can produce inflammation in your ear canal or middle ear. Your hearing will then sound muffled as this swelling blocks the transmission of sound. Treatments might include some antibiotics. As soon as the infection has cleared, your hearing should go back to normal.
Batteries
You just need to replace your battery. As hearing aids drain, they sometimes begin to sound, well, muffled (you can see why this would be something to check). This is still true even if you have rechargeable batteries. Sometimes, replacing the batteries with new ones can make your hearing aids sound crystal clear again.
Hearing loss
If you’re still having trouble hearing, don’t dismiss the possibility that your hearing loss has changed. If you haven’t had a hearing exam in the last year or so, think about scheduling an appointment. While you’re here having your hearing aid adjusted we can also do an inspection and cleaning.
Don’t let it linger
It’s definitely a good plan to come see us for a consultation if you’ve tried all this and your hearing aid is still muffled. You may find yourself putting your hearing aids in a drawer and cranking your TV up again if you don’t resolve this muffling problem. Your hearing may then start to sustain additional damage.
So, don’t let it linger. If you are unable to clean out some earwax and get hearing again, schedule a hearing assessment with us today and get everything taken care of before your next family event. If you can actually hear what they’re saying you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more.
