Can I get a hearing?

Since I think Friday I've had a problem with my hearing. It's a little bit like ringing and a little bit like being stuffed up. It's not painful, but it's annoying. The world seems muffled, distant. It's hard to hear what people are saying, and I'm saying "Excuse me?" a lot more.

Something very like this happened to me last year as well, and when I got my annual check-up I asked the doctor about it. He peered into my ears, and he said there wasn't anything wrong. He suggested I "equalize" the pressure, like divers do. It went away after two or three weeks.

I have no idea what it is. The lack of understanding is almost as bothersome as the symptoms.