{"id":1793,"date":"2025-03-07T19:04:36","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T19:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/?p=1793"},"modified":"2025-03-07T19:04:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T19:04:38","slug":"common-ear-issues-and-how-they-affect-your-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/common-ear-issues-and-how-they-affect-your-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Ear Issues and How They Affect Your Hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Your ears keep you balanced, alert and connected to the world. But when something isn\u2019t working properly, everyday sounds can become muffled, distorted or even painful. Understanding common ear problems is an essential step to protecting your hearing health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequent Causes of Hearing Problems<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1254\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Close-up-of-a-young-woman-taking-a-hearing-test.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up of a young woman taking a hearing test.\" class=\"wp-image-1796\" style=\"width:415px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Close-up-of-a-young-woman-taking-a-hearing-test.jpg 1254w, https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Close-up-of-a-young-woman-taking-a-hearing-test-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1254px) 100vw, 1254px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Hearing loss and discomfort can <a href=\"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/hearing-loss\/hearing-loss-causes\/\">stem from a variety of issues<\/a>, some temporary and others more persistent. A few of the most common culprits include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ear infections<\/strong>. Ear infections cause <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/8613-ear-infection-otitis-media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fluid to build up behind the eardrum<\/a>, leading to inflammation, pain and hearing loss. While some clear up on their own, chronic infections may require antibiotics or minor surgical procedures like ear tube placement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Excessive earwax<\/strong>. Earwax is your ear\u2019s natural cleaning system, but too much can cause a blockage, leading to <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diseases\/14428-ear-wax-buildup--blockage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">muffled hearing, discomfort and dizziness<\/a>. Avoid cotton swabs, as they can push wax deeper into the canal. Instead, seek professional earwax removal for a safe and effective solution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)<\/strong>. Exposure to loud environments\u2014whether from concerts at The Emerson Center, power tools or prolonged headphone use\u2014can permanently damage the <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10059082\/#:~:text=Noise%2Dinduced%20hearing%20loss%20(NIHL,the%20patient%20and%20societal%20levels.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delicate hair cells inside the inner ear<\/a>. Over time, this leads to gradual hearing loss. Wearing ear protection in noisy settings can help prevent this condition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Otosclerosis<\/strong>. Otosclerosis results from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nidcd.nih.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/Documents\/health\/hearing\/NIDCD-Otosclerosis.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">abnormal bone growth in the middle ear<\/a>, which prevents sound from traveling correctly. It typically develops gradually, causing progressive hearing loss. Depending on severity, treatment options include hearing aids or a surgical procedure called a stapedectomy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>M\u00e9ni\u00e8re\u2019s disease<\/strong>. M\u00e9ni\u00e8re\u2019s disease is an inner ear disorder that can cause <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/menieres-disease\/diagnosis-treatment\/drc-20374916\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sudden dizziness (vertigo), tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and fluctuating hearing loss<\/a>. Medications, physical therapy, surgery and lifestyle adjustments can help manage symptoms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Auditory processing disorder (APD)<\/strong>. Rather than stopping your ears from transmitting sound, APD affects <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/auditory-processing-disorder\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20555261\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the way your brain processes sound once it\u2019s received<\/a>. While each case is different, APD generally affects four areas, including trouble discriminating between similar-sounding words, understanding specific sounds in a noisy background, recalling information from speech and recalling the order of words. Auditory training and communication strategies can help manage APD.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs It\u2019s Time to See a Specialist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hearing loss often happens gradually, making it easy to overlook until it starts affecting your daily life. Schedule a <a href=\"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/hearing-loss\/hearing-tests\/\">hearing evaluation<\/a> if you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Frequently ask people to repeat themselves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Struggle to follow conversations, especially in noisy settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experience ringing or buzzing in your ears.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feel off-balance or dizzy without explanation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find yourself turning up the TV or radio more often.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve noticed changes in your hearing, contact <span class=\"company-name \">Aaron&#039;s Hearing Aid &amp; Audiology Center<\/span> today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/what-can-i-expect-during-the-hearing-aid-adjustment-period\/\" class=\"related-post\">What Can I Expect During the Hearing Aid Adjustment Period?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/a-guide-to-modern-hearing-aid-features\/\" class=\"related-post\">A Guide to Modern Hearing Aid Features<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/how-to-thrive-in-the-workplace-despite-hearing-loss\/\" class=\"related-post\">How To Thrive in the Workplace Despite Hearing Loss<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your ears keep you balanced, alert and connected to the world. But when something isn\u2019t working properly, everyday sounds can become muffled, distorted or even painful. Understanding common ear problems is an essential step to protecting your hearing health. Frequent Causes of Hearing Problems Hearing loss and discomfort can stem from a variety of issues,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,12,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hearing-aids","category-hearing-health","category-hearing-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1793"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1798,"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1793\/revisions\/1798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaronshearingcare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}