Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood illness, something that affects primarily young kids. Ear infections are definitely more prevalent 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 unpleasant ways. Hearing aids can also shelter germs that could lead to an ear infection if they aren’t correctly cleaned and maintained.
So is it a bad plan to use hearing aids with an ear infection? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Hearing aids could intensify the discomfort and inflammation caused by an ear infection. However, there are some steps that people who use hearing aids can take to help avoid and manage ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
You might be questioning if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing impairment. Technically, the 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 a result of 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 circumstances, the inner ear becomes infected after a previous illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). In other cases, fluid buildup might lead to an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
For people who use hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing aid and, when inserted, gains access to the inner 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 hearing aid is involved in this transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So what is the degree of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? To understand what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most prevalent symptoms of an ear infection. Here are a few of the most common symptoms of ear infections:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Inflammation and swelling
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- In some cases, temporary hearing loss
- Ear pain
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
Not everyone will experience every symptom, of course. Usually, you will have noticeable swelling of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. For individuals with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least in part) reside within the ear canal. Because the ear canal is irritated and tender, your hearing aids might cause extra discomfort.
Also, with a hearing aid that goes mostly inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be obstructed. When fluids can’t drain, your discomfort might 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 performance of your hearing aid can also be impacted by the extra moisture. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid isn’t really working as well as it should. This means that you will have a terrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Strategies to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
So what can you do if your hearing aids are annoying you while you have an ear infection? There are a number of steps you can take to lower your risk of developing ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection may cause. Here are a few of those steps:
- 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 uncomfortable.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears clean and dry and routinely clean your outer ear. However, you should never stick any object inside of your ear and that includes 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. This is the exact opposite of what you’re likely trying to accomplish.
- 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.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can lessen the risk of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for a quick tutorial.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is persistent or significant, it’s all right to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears feel better. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
Hearing aids are most likely an essential part of your daily life. They help you navigate your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. That makes it really difficult to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. However, you will have a quicker 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.
It’s not uncommon for people to get ear infections. 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 impacted by an ear infection.
