You’ve been anticipating this all week: a Zoom call with your son and daughter-in-law. You’ll have a great time and get caught up with your cherished family members.
But when you get online you realize, to your sadness and frustration, that you can’t hear very well. You’re wearing your hearing aids but you still can’t hear anything.
You’re incredibly discouraged.
Modern marvels muffled
It’s well recognized that you can attain crystal clear sound with modern hearing aids. So when that doesn’t occur, that can be really depressing. Hearing aids are designed 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 definitely not an improvement over your normal hearing). The problem may not be the hearing aid at all.
Why do my hearing aids sound muffled?
So why do voices sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher if your hearing aids are working correctly? Well, there are a few things you can do to try to fix the issue.
Earwax
You’d be rich if you had a nickel for every time earwax caused trouble. The problem with your hearing aid might be an accumulation of earwax against the microphone. The earwax impedes your hearing aid’s ability to pick up sound and, hence, the amplification is muffled.
You might be able to tell if earwax is the problem by:
- Power-up the hearing aid. If the start-up music and dings all sound fine, but speech is later muffled, the issue is probably with the microphone and not the speaker (and wax is the most likely culprit).
- Doing a visual check. Don’t just put your hearing aid in without taking a good look at it. Clean it thoroughly if you notice any earwax.
Conversely, 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). The troubleshooting will need to continue if the muffled sound persists even after you’ve cleaned your ears and your hearing aid.
Infection
So, if earwax isn’t the issue, the next likely reason is going to be an infection. This could be a common ear infection. Sometimes, it could be an inner ear infection. Both are worth setting up an appointment for an evaluation.
Ear infections of various kinds and causes can generate swelling in your ear canal or middle ear. Your hearing will then sound muffled as this swelling blocks the transmission of sound. Management may include some antibiotics. As soon as the infection has cleared, your hearing should return to normal.
Batteries
You just have to change your battery. Hearing aids can sound muffled when the batteries are drained so make sure you watch for that. This is true even if your batteries are rechargeable. Sometimes, replacing the batteries with fresh 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. Consider scheduling an appointment for a hearing test if you haven’t had one in the past year. Not only will you be able to make sure your hearing aids are properly tuned, 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 may find yourself putting your hearing aids in a drawer and turning your TV up again if you don’t eliminate this muffling issue. Your hearing may then start to sustain further damage.
Letting it linger is not a wise plan. If you can’t clear out some earwax and get hearing again, schedule a hearing test with us right away and get everything taken care of before your next family get-together. If you can actually hear what they’re saying you’ll you’ll have a lot more fun.
