It may be a surprise to many that approximately 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood illness, something that affects mainly young kids. Ear infections are certainly more common in children but adults do get them too.
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 properly maintained, they can become a vehicle for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you may be wondering: Can I wear hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it may not be something you want to do. Ear infections can cause significant swelling and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may worsen those symptoms. However, there are some steps that people who use hearing aids can take to help prevent and treat ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
If you’re an adult with hearing loss and you begin to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you may begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we have to look at it in greater detail.
Nearly all ear infections are caused by bacteria or a virus that gets into the ear. There are a wide range of vectors that can lead to infection. Sometimes, an earlier illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. An infection might be caused by fluid accumulation in other instances. It’s also entirely possible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to people who use hearing aids. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. Correct hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is essential for this reason. Essentially, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your device might play a role in transmission.
Contact between hearing aids and ear infections
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to examine the most common ear infection symptoms. Here are some of the most prevalent symptoms of ear infections:
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Swelling and inflammation
- In some situations, temporary hearing loss
- Ear pain
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
Not everybody will suffer from every symptom, of course. Typically, you will have obvious swelling of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. These symptoms can have an adverse interaction with hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss. That’s because the hearing aid goes inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids might cause added discomfort as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. Your infection and discomfort might last longer if fluid is stuck in your ear. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased as a result of this. When you are wearing your hearing aid, pressure can be even more uncomfortable.
The functionality of your hearing aid can also be impacted by the extra moisture. So your hearing aids aren’t functioning 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 strategies
You might now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? You can reduce your risk of developing an ear infection and address any discomfort that an ear infection may cause by taking a few steps. Here are a few of those steps:
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you think that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as you can. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
- 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 occurs less often.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to correctly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Think about coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection goes away but your hearing aid is still not comfortable.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears dry and clean and regularly clean your outer ear. Don’t try to stick any object in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can push earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your chance of developing an infection. You’re trying to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have significant 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 communicate with loved ones and move around the world more easily. Which means that these little devices will usually be hard to give up, even for a short time. However, you will have a faster recovery from your ear infection if you take a break from wearing them until you heal up. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
Ear infections are relatively common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out treatment or try to prevent them. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be affected by an ear infection.