Happy mature middle aged adult woman wearing hearing aids waving hand holding digital tablet computer video conference calling by social distance virtual family online chat meeting sitting on couch at home

You’re having a Zoom call with your grandchild and you’ve been anticipating it all week! You’ll be able to catch up, check-in, and, laugh.

But when you get online you notice, to your sadness and disappointment, that you can’t hear very well. You’re wearing your hearing aids but you still can’t hear anything.

You’re incredibly disappointed.

Modern marvels muffled

Modern hearing aids are famous for their ability to produce crystal clear sounds. That’s why it can be really, really discouraging when that doesn’t occur. You’re supposed to have better hearing with hearing aids, right? But, lately, every time you’ve turned your hearing aids on, everything has sounded muffled and distorted (and that’s definitely not an improvement over your regular hearing). The problem might not be the hearing aid at all.

Why do my hearing aids sound muffled?

Ok, so, if the hearing aid is functioning properly, why does everybody sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher? Well, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem.

Earwax

If I had a dime for every problem that earwax has caused (in general, not me personally), I’d be a rich (but still cranky) man. The issue with your hearing aid could be a build-up of earwax against the microphone. The earwax impedes your hearing aid’s ability to pick up sound and, as a result, the amplification is muffled.

You may be able to tell if earwax is the issue by:

  • Power-up the hearing aid. The issue is likely to be the microphone (probably wax buildup) and not the speaker if all of the start-up sounds are normal when you power-up the hearing aid.
  • Doing a visual check. Don’t just put your hearing aid in without getting a good look at it. Clean it completely if you see any earwax.

Alternatively, it’s possible that earwax in your ear rather than on the hearing aid is the issue here. In those situations, 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 continues after you’ve cleaned up your hearing aid and your ears, you’ll have to continue troubleshooting.

Infection

Infection will be the next thing to consider if earwax isn’t accountable. This could be a common ear infection. Sometimes, it could be an inner ear infection. In both instances, a hearing evaluation is suggested.

Ear infections of several kinds and causes can generate swelling in your ear canal or middle ear. Your hearing will then sound muffled as this inflammation blocks the transmission of sound. Normally, antibiotics will clear this type of infection up. Once the infection has cleared, your hearing should return to normal.

Batteries

You just have 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). Even if you have rechargeable batteries this can still be true. It’s possible, in many situations, that your hearing aids will be crystal clear again after you change the batteries with new ones.

Hearing loss

It may also be possible that your hearing loss has changed and your hearing aids need to be reprogrammed to make up for that. Think about scheduling an appointment for a hearing test if you haven’t had one in the last year. While you’re here getting your hearing aid reprogrammed we can also do an inspection and cleaning.

Don’t let it linger

It’s definitely a good idea to come in for a consultation if you’ve tried all this and your hearing aid still sounds muffled. If your muffled hearing lingers, you might find yourself wearing your hearing aids less (or cranking up the volume on your TV again). And all of that could start causing hearing damage again.

Letting it linger is not a wise idea. Make an appointment with us so you can get back to hearing before that big family get-together. You’ll enjoy yourself more if you can actually hear what everyone is saying!

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The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

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