It might be a surprise to many that roughly 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood illness, something that affects primarily young kids. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more common in kids, but they also occur frequently in adults.
Ear infections can be particularly unpleasant for people with hearing loss because they can interact with their hearing aids. Additionally, when hearing aids aren’t properly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you might be wondering: Can I use hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it may not be something you want to do. Hearing aids could intensify the discomfort and swelling caused by an ear infection. But people who use hearing aids can take a few steps to treat and possibly prevent ear infections.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
You may be questioning if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing impairment. The technical answer is no. But in order to get the full picture we need to view it in greater detail.
The vast majority of all ear infections are caused by viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a number of paths that bacteria and viruses can take on their way to becoming an infection. In some instances, the inner ear becomes infected after a past illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). In other cases, fluid accumulation might result in an infection. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
This can occur with some frequency to individuals who wear hearing aids. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is critical for individuals with hearing loss to properly maintain and clean their devices. In other words, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your hearing aid is involved in this transmission.
Contact between hearing aids and ear infections
So what is the level of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to look at the most common ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Pain in the ear
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Swelling and inflammation
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
Not everybody will suffer from every symptom, of course. Usually, you will have obvious swelling of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. These symptoms can have a negative interaction with hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least partially) sit within the ear canal. Your hearing aids could cause added discomfort as they aggravate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can stop drainage. 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 marked when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
The functionality of your hearing aid can also be impacted by the extra moisture. So your hearing aids aren’t working at peak performance and your ears are in pain. This means that you will have a horrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
You may now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting ear infections and to address the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Here are a few of those steps:
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Making sure your devices are clean can help to ensure they aren’t transmitting bacteria and viruses to your ears (or, at least, that it happens less often.) If you don’t know how to clean and sanitize hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears dry and clean 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 risk 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.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you believe you might be developing an ear infection. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will decrease the risk of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Consider coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection goes away but your hearing aid is still not comfortable.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have severe or persistent pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
You most likely depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you get around your world more easily and have better communication with your family and friends. That makes it very difficult to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. However, you will have a speedier recovery from your ear infection if you take a break from wearing them until you heal up. This will help you get back to feeling better sooner.
Ear infections are fairly common. But you should still get treatment if you notice symptoms. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.
