iPhone no longer working properly after update...

Ok... i cannot use the phone "as a phone" unless i use speaker mode or a headset?!?!

i have verified the mic is actually working by recording a voice message... it played back fine; however, the meter never registered my voice?!?! any ideas??? i do not believe it is stuck in headphone mode because i have adjusted the volume with and without headphones plugged in, it does change to say "headphones".

although... i do not remember seeing "RINGER" when i adjusted the volume before??? what does this mean? any ideas on what the problem could be?? and no, the phone was not dropped right before or after the update... it worked prior to updating just fine... now it doesn't?!?!