It might be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that normally impact children. And it’s true that ear infections are more prevalent in children, but they also happen frequently in adults.
For adults with hearing impairments or hearing loss, ear infections can be especially inconvenient, as they can interact with hearing aids in some uncomfortable ways. Also, when hearing aids aren’t correctly maintained, they can become a vehicle for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you may be wondering: Can I use hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Ear infections can cause considerable inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids might exacerbate those symptoms. But people who use hearing aids can take a few steps to treat and possibly prevent ear infections.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
If you’re an adult with hearing impairment and you begin to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you might begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause this ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we have to look at it in greater detail.
The vast majority of all ear infections are due to viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a wide range of vectors that can lead to infection. Often, a previous illness, like a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. In other cases, fluid buildup might lead to an infection. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via simple transmission.
For people who wear hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. Correct hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is crucial for this reason. So the virus or bacteria is really the cause of the infection, not the hearing aid itself. But your device could play a role in transmission.
Contact between hearing aids and ear infections
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? To understand what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most prevalent symptoms of an ear infection. Here are some of the most common symptoms of ear infections:
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Pain in the ear
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Dizziness or vertigo
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Temporary loss of hearing in some situations
- Swelling and inflammation
Obviously, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. Usually, you will have obvious swelling of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. For people with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least partially) reside within the ear canal. Your hearing aids may cause added soreness as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Also, with a hearing aid that goes mostly inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be blocked. When fluids can’t drain, your discomfort may become prolonged. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased because of this. This pressure can be even more pronounced when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
This increased moisture can also impair the function of your hearing aid. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid doesn’t really work as well as it should. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
You might now be thinking: my hearing aids bother me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? You can lower your risk of developing an ear infection and manage any discomfort that an ear infection may cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should talk to your doctor sooner than later if you suspect you may be developing an ear infection. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears clean and dry and regularly clean your outer ear. Do not try to stick any object in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. With a cotton swabs, your chance of developing an ear infection increases because you could jam earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. You’re trying to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is prolonged or significant, it’s all right to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears feel better. During this interim period, you can pursue other means of communicating with your loved ones (such as texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Making sure your devices are clean can help to ensure they aren’t transferring bacteria and viruses to your ears (or, at least, that it happens less frequently.) Ask us for help if you’re not sure how to properly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t recede, consider talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
You probably depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you communicate with loved ones and move around the world more easily. Which means that these little devices can often be hard to give up, even for a short time. However, taking a break from your hearing aids while you have an ear infection can help you recover from your illness more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better sooner.
It’s not uncommon for people to get ear infections. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections may impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.