You’ve been looking forward to this all week: a Zoom call with your grandchildren. You’ll be able to get caught up, check-in, and, laugh.
But when you log in you realize, to your sadness and disappointment, that you can’t hear very well. Your hearing aids are in, but everything seems muffled.
You’re incredibly discouraged.
Modern marvels muffled
It’s well known that you can attain crystal clear sound with modern hearing aids. So when that doesn’t happen, that can be really discouraging. Hearing aids are meant to help you hear better, right? But your hearing aids aren’t improving your hearing. Actually, they’re making everything sound muffled. The issue might not be the hearing aid at all.
What’s the cause of that muffling?
So why do voices sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher if your hearing aids are functioning correctly? Well, there are a few things you can do to try to right the ship, as it were.
Earwax
If I had a dime for every issue that earwax has caused (in general, not me personally), I’d be a rich (but still cranky) man. Earwax might have built up against the microphone and that may be the source of your trouble. The earwax inhibits your hearing aid’s ability to pick up sound and, as a result, the amplification is muffled.
Here are some indications that earwax could be the problem.:
- Doing a visual assessment. Don’t simply put your hearing aid in without getting a good look at it. If you see earwax, try to remove it.
- 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 power-up the hearing aid.
Conversely, it’s possible that earwax in your ear and not on the hearing aid is the problem here. In those instances, make sure 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 keep 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. Sometimes, it may be an inner ear infection. In both cases, a hearing assessment is recommended.
Inflammation of the ear canal and middle ear can be the result of both kinds of infection. Your hearing will then sound muffled as this swelling blocks the transmission of sound. Normally, antibiotics will clear this type of infection up. Once the infection goes away, your hearing should return to normal.
Batteries
It’s also altogether possible that your hearing aid batteries are in need to be charged. Hearing aids can sound muffled when the batteries get low so be sure to check for that. This is still true even if you have rechargeable batteries. 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 might also be possible that your hearing loss has changed and your hearing aids need to be reprogrammed to make up for that. If you haven’t had a hearing exam in the last year or so, consider scheduling an appointment. While you’re here having your hearing aid reprogrammed we can also do an inspection and cleaning.
Don’t let it linger
If you try all this troubleshooting and nothing really helps, it’s certainly worth taking some time to come in for a consultation. If your muffled hearing lingers, you may find yourself using your hearing aids less (or turning up the volume on your TV again). Your hearing could then start to sustain further damage.
So, don’t let it linger. Schedule an appointment with us so you can get back to hearing before that big family event. You’ll have more fun if you can actually hear what they’re saying!