Left ear is out of tune

Rend

Okay so this is a terrifying thing, being a musician.

For about a week now my ear has been clogged (my left ear), I am a heavy wax producer so this has happened before. However, after cleaning out my ear (at this point I know how - soften with peroxide and use a syringe of warm water to blast out wax), it still sounds clogged. What's worse, I discovered while listening to some music and pulling one earbud out slightly before the other. A heard something very weird for that split second, and I discovered my left ear is very close to a half step flat of my right ear.

How sure am I, you ask? Extremely sure. As a former music major I am pretty good at identifying pitches, and I tested thoroughly. Single notes, chords, used one headphone, both, either, switched the same earbud into each ear, the whole shebang. I am without doubt that (for some reason) I am hearing both more quietly and at a different pitch out of my left ear. I don't know if this is because it is still clogged up, or because of some other reason I don't want to think of.

I will see a doctor if this persists for another week or so. Until then, anyone who has any clue about how hearing and ears work, put my mind at ease or ready me for perhaps the most depressing news of my life. Whats the deal?

acidlacedpenguin

it's probably still blocked, possibly only partially. I think most audiologists will clean your ears for you using likely expensive equipment. I doubt it's any sort of long term damage.

I had a head cold earlier in the year and my left ear sounded like I was hearing through a tin can, it cleared out naturally for me once I cleared my sinuses out.

TheKoolEagle

I've had similar problems in the past which cleared up on their own accord after a week or 2, I wouldn't worry too much about it, visit the doctor if you have good insurance I'd say or it doesn't bother you to pay your copay, as a musician myself I understand the worry but it is probably nothing

Hahnsoo1

Having experienced this before (Violinist here), it is most likely an infection or clogged canal, especially if it still sounds clogged to you. And even with temporary aberrations in hearing, your brain will eventually adjust to the "new normal" and you'll be hearing pitches fine again.

Essee

Yeah, I'd probably try to just get a doctor in there to try clearing things out again. I know you know what you're doing and all, but it's likely that the doctor would have better luck solving the problem for a variety of reasons. And if there's anything wrong besides earwax (infection, as mentioned, as one example), or maybe if the earwax is going to be resistant to being flushed out the normal way, the doctor can figure out a solution for you. At any rate, I sincerely doubt from your description that this difference in hearing is permanent in any way, so I wouldn't worry about that!