You’re having a Zoom call with your granddaughter and you’ve been anticipating it all week! You’ll be able to get caught up, check-in, and, laugh.
But when the call begins, you are horrified to find out, you can’t hear what your loved ones are saying. You’re wearing your hearing aids but you still can’t hear anything.
You can’t believe how frustrated you are.
Modern marvels muffled
Modern hearing aids are celebrated for their ability to provide crystal clear sounds. That’s why it can be really, really aggravating when that doesn’t happen. Hearing aids are meant to help you hear better, right? But, lately, every time you’ve used your hearing aids, everything has sounded muffled and distorted (and that’s certainly not an improvement over your regular hearing). The hearing aid itself might not even be the issue.
Why do my hearing aids sound muffled?
So why do voices sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher if your hearing aids are functioning correctly? Well, there are several things you can do to fix the problem.
Earwax
You’d be rich if you had a dime for every time earwax caused trouble. Earwax may have accumulated against the microphone and that may be the source of your trouble. The earwax inhibits your hearing aid’s ability to detect sound and, thus, the amplification is muffled.
You might be able to determine if earwax is the problem by:
- 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.
- Doing a visual inspection. Don’t just put your hearing aid in without taking a good look at it. If you see earwax, try to clean it off.
Alternatively, it’s possible that earwax in your ear and not on the hearing aid is the problem here. In those instances, be certain to clean out your ears in a safe way (a cotton swab, by the way, is not a safe way). If the muffled issue persists once you’ve cleaned up your hearing aid and your ears, you’ll have to continue troubleshooting.
Infection
So, if earwax isn’t the issue, the next likely culprit is going to be an infection. This could be a normal ear infection. Or it may be an inner ear infection. In both cases, a hearing evaluation is suggested.
Ear infections of several kinds and causes can generate inflammation in your ear canal or middle ear. This swelling blocks the transmission of sound and, therefore, your hearing is muffled. Management may include some antibiotics. As soon as the infection has cleared, your hearing will usually go back to normal.
Batteries
It’s also very possible that your hearing aid batteries need to be changed. Hearing aids can sound muffled when the batteries are drained so be sure to check for that. This is still true even if you have rechargeable batteries. It’s possible, in many instances, that your hearing aids will become crystal clear again after you replace the batteries with fresh ones.
Hearing loss
If you’re still having problems hearing, don’t dismiss the possibility that your hearing loss has changed. Think about making an appointment for a hearing exam if you haven’t had one in the last year. Not only will you be able to make sure your hearing aids are properly programmed, but we will also be able to do a professional clean and check on your device.
Don’t let it linger
If you try all this troubleshooting and nothing really helps, it’s definitely worth taking some time to come in for a consultation. You might find yourself leaving your hearing aids in a drawer and cranking your TV up again if you don’t eliminate this muffling problem. Your hearing may then begin to sustain further damage.
So, don’t let it linger. If you can’t clear out some earwax and get hearing again, schedule a hearing test with us today and get everything taken care of before your next family event. You’ll enjoy yourself more if you can actually hear what everyone is saying!