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Why Do Ears Muffle After a Concert?

Most people do not protect their ears with earplugs during a concert. This can cause temporary damage due to exposure to excessive noise. Provisional damage to the ears is what causes normal sounds to seem muffled for a few hours or days, depending on the extent of the damage.

  1. How Sound Travels

    • Sound travels from the outer ear to the middle ear, which causes the eardrum to send sound waves to the inner ear. Tiny hairs called cilia absorb these vibrations and relay them to nerve endings connected to the brain.

    Temporary Hearing Loss

    • Listening to deafening sounds for several hours can cause the cilia to become bent or swollen.

    How Long Does It Last?

    • Muffled hearing generally lasts only a short period.

    Permanent Hearing Loss?

    • Temporary ear damage that occurs over a number of years can lead to permanent hearing loss. Permanent hearing loss can also happen immediately if the damage is severe.

    Medical Treatment

    • Seek medical treatment if muffled sounds and hearing loss continue for more than one week.

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