There is nothing quite like a refreshing dip in the pool or the ocean on a hot day. But for many swimmers, that blissful experience is followed by an annoying and unsettling sensation: muffled hearing . It feels like you have a cotton ball or a plug of water stuck deep in your ear canal. You shake your head, hop on one foot, and yet, the world remains muffled.
Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. If shaking and drying don't fix the muffled hearing within 48 hours, see an ENT. Your hearing is too precious to gamble with cotton swabs or blind poking. muffled hearing after swimming patched
But what does "patched" actually mean in this context? And why does your hearing feel "blocked" hours or even days after leaving the water? There is nothing quite like a refreshing dip