It may be a surprise to many that roughly 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that impacts mainly young kids. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more common in kids, but they also occur frequently in adults.
For adults with hearing impairments or hearing loss, ear infections can be particularly inconvenient, as they can interact with hearing aids in some unpleasant ways. 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 wear 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. However, there are some steps that people who use hearing aids can take to help avoid and treat 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. The technical answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we need to view 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 variety of vectors that can lead to 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 certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
This can occur with some frequency to individuals who use hearing aids. The virus or bacteria hitches a ride on your hearing aid and, when inserted, gains access to the inner ear. Proper hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is essential for this reason. So the virus or bacteria is actually the cause of the infection, not the hearing aid itself. But your device might play a role in transmission.
Contact between hearing aids and ear infections
So what is the degree of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to examine the most prevalent ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Discharge of fluid from the ear
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Swelling and inflammation
- Ear pain
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
Needless to say, 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. These symptoms can have an adverse interaction with hearing aids for people with hearing loss. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least in part) sit within the ear canal. Because the ear canal is irritated and tender, your hearing aids could cause extra discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. Your infection and discomfort may last longer if fluid is trapped in your ear. This will also increase the pressure (and pain) you feel in your ears. When you are wearing your hearing aid, pressure can be even more unpleasant.
This increased moisture can also impair the function of your hearing aid. So your hearing aids aren’t working at peak performance and your ears are in pain. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be an absolutely miserable time.
Strategies to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
You may now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy 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:
- 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.) If you don’t know how to clean and sanitize hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with 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 risk of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is persistent or severe, it’s okay to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears feel better. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears dry and clean 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 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 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. Which means that these little devices can often 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.