Find out the connection between hearing loss and blocked ears | Hearing Professionals (2024)

FAQs

Find out the connection between hearing loss and blocked ears | Hearing Professionals? ›

Hearing loss and blocked ears can be related, as a blockage in the ear can interfere with the sound transmission and lead to a decrease in hearing ability. If you're experiencing hearing loss along with blocked ears, it's important to address the underlying cause of the blockage to restore your hearing.

Differentiating Earwax Build-up and Hearing Loss

Earwax build-up typically causes a feeling of fullness or blockage in the ear, whereas hearing loss may be accompanied by tinnitus or difficulty understanding speech.

Otolaryngologists. An otolaryngologist is a medical doctor specializing in diseases and disorders in the ears, nose, and throat. For this reason, people often call them ear, nose, and throat surgeons (ENTs). They treat conditions that affect the ears, balance system, and base of the skull.

Damage to the inner ear.

Damaged or missing hairs or nerve cells don't send electrical signals well. This causes hearing loss. Higher pitched tones may seem muffled. It may be hard to pick out words against background noise.

If your ears have a full-like or clogged sensation, you may have an ear wax blockage. Find an audiologist near you to help remove your blockage and to put an at-home plan in place for ear wax removal.

If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.

There are various causes behind this common issue, ranging from simple, temporary factors like earwax buildup or changes in air pressure, to more serious conditions such as infections or underlying medical conditions. Ears can become blocked due to either excessive earwax accumulation or exposure to high altitudes.

You also can try hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room temperature water. Place 2 drops of the fluid, warmed to body temperature, in the ear two times a day for up to 5 days. Once the wax is loose and soft, all that is usually needed to remove it from the ear canal is a gentle, warm shower.

Some hearing loss goes away on its own, some hearing loss can be reversed with medical intervention, and other hearing loss is permanent (although the symptoms can be treated). There are two main types of hearing loss, and a third type that is a combination of both.

Even in these mild, sloping hearing loss cases, auditory cortex activity is decreased and frontal lobe activity is increased on listening tasks. Why does this matter? Well, the frontal and pre-frontal areas are critical for working memory and executive function.

Is it better to see an ENT or audiologist for hearing loss? ›

When you have hearing loss, the audiologist will also test your hearing on an annual basis. However, it is always wise to see your ENT doctor as well any time there are noticeable changes in your hearing.

Research has found that ear candling doesn't work.

Inadequate opening of this tube can cause a buildup of fluid in the ears, which can lead to a feeling of pain and pressure in the ear. A tube that is too open can also cause a persistent feeling of pressure as well as hearing unusual sounds such as your own breathing or your own voice too loudly.

When people experience a blockage of their ears through excessive or impacted ear wax their immediate perception could be that they have gone suddenly deaf. Fortunately, very few people ever lose their hearing completely and certainly never as a result of a build-up of ear wax.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

It's not uncommon for kids to be misdiagnosed with the inattentive type because its symptoms are similar to that of a hearing loss. Inattentive-type symptoms: Difficulty paying close attention to verbal directions and details.

Signs of hearing loss

Common signs include: difficulty hearing other people clearly and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places. asking people to repeat themselves. listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need.