Hearing loss doesn’t always happen equally in both ears. Hearing loss in one ear, called unilateral hearing loss, occurs when one ear has hearing loss, but the other ear can hear normally.
Both children and adults can experience unilateral hearing loss. Sometimes it’s temporary and can be treated to restore normal hearing. Other times, the hearing loss can be permanent.
While one ear can hear normally with unilateral hearing loss, our bodies were designed to be binaural, or to hear with both ears. Our ears constantly communicate with one another as they absorb sounds from the environment. People who can’t hear out of one ear may find it difficult to:
This type of hearing loss can range from mild to profound; if the loss is severe enough, it may mean the person is deaf in one ear. In these cases, it is sometimes called single-sided deafness (SSD).
Those that experience muffled ear typically describe a “full” or “plugged up” feeling. When your ear feels clogged and muffled, it can often feel like there is cotton or some other object clogging the ear.
Muffled hearing can present itself in one or both ears; its onset is often sudden, but it can also occur gradually over time. Muffled hearing is typically a conductive hearing loss, which happens when sound waves cannot pass through to the inner ear from the middle and outer ear.
Many possible causes exist for these conditions, especially if the onset is sudden.
Certain illnesses and infections can cause muffled hearing or hearing loss in one ear. An ear infection, for example, causes fluid to build up in the middle ear, blocking the sound from entering the inner ear. You can also get “swimmer’s ear,” especially if you are a frequent swimmer or spend time in a hot, moist climate.
Swimmer’s ear occurs when the skin inside the ear canal gets infected due to water that contains bacteria entering the ear. This water gets trapped, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. The result is inflammation and swelling which narrows or blocks the ear canal.
A common culprit for muffled hearing is excessive ear wax (cerumen). Ear wax can sometimes build up in the ear canal and cause a blockage. This ear wax can dry up and harden over time, increasing the risk of impaction. Impacted ear wax can affect your ability to hear. Ear wax blockage often happens when people use items like cotton swabs or bobby pins to try to clean their ears. This only pushes the ear wax farther into the ears and can also cause blockage or injury to the ear.
Foreign objects can also enter and get stuck in the ear, causing hearing loss. Children are more at risk for this, but even adults can get objects stuck in the ear. Sometimes a small bug can fly into the ear while camping, running or working outdoors. A wad of cotton from a cotton swab can also get stuck in the ear. Remember the old adage “Never put anything in your ear that is smaller than your elbow!”.
Everyone reacts differently to medication, but some may be ototoxic and contribute to hearing loss in one or both ears. Meds that are known to be ototoxic can damage the sensitive nerve cells in our inner ear. This damage may lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss, ringing in the ears or dizziness. Check with your doctor if you take (or are prescribed) any of the following:
If you start to experience muffled hearing or hearing loss in one ear, you should contact a physician, preferably a physician specializing in diseases of the ear. He or she can examine the issue and refer you to an audiologist to properly evaluate and diagnose the hearing problem.
Depending on the cause, treatment options when you can't hear out of one ear may include:
Single-sided hearing loss can sometimes be treated with differing types of amplification. If it’s determined that the hearing loss can be treated with a hearing aid, then a hearing aid can be used to provide binaural hearing.
Sometimes the hearing loss in the affected ear cannot be helped with a hearing aid. In these cases, Miracle-Ear offers a CROS/BiCROS solution (CROS means Contralateral Routing of Signal.)
These hearing aids connect wirelessly through the CROS transmitter. When sounds and speech are detected by the ear with untreatable hearing loss, they can be transmitted wirelessly to the better ear to be processed. This wireless transmission allows you to hear better in a variety of situations, such as talking on the phone, conversing in a group setting, or walking side by side with someone.
Here are some tips for protecting your hearing health:
Loud noises can damage the delicate nerve cells in the inner ear, causing temporary or permanent hearing loss. Protect your ears from loud noises by turning down the volume or wearing hearing protection in noisy situations. Common places to protect your ears include:
If you or a loved one is experiencing hearing loss in one ear or have an ear that feels clogged and muffled, book an appointment at Miracle-Ear today to talk with one of our hearing specialists and find the right course of treatment.
