It might be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that normally impact children. And it’s true 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 especially inconvenient, as they can interact with hearing aids in some uncomfortable ways. Hearing aids can also harbor germs that could result in an ear infection if they are not correctly cleaned and maintained.
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 aggravate 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 treat ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
If you’re an adult with hearing loss and you start to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you might 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 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 quite a few paths that bacteria and viruses can take on their way to becoming an infection. Sometimes, a previous illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will result in an infection of the inner ear. In other situations, fluid accumulation might result in an infection. It’s also entirely feasible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
This can occur with some frequency to people who use hearing aids. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing device and, upon insertion, gains access to the inner ear. That’s why it is critical for people with hearing loss to properly maintain and clean their devices. In other words, the hearing aid itself does not cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your hearing aid does play a part in this transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So what is the level 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. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Ear pain
- Inflammation and swelling
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Dizziness or vertigo
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
Obviously, everyone 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 a negative interaction with hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss. That’s because your hearing aid will most likely (at least in part) reside within the ear canal. Your hearing aids might cause added discomfort as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Also, with a hearing aid that goes primarily inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be obstructed. When fluids cannot drain, your discomfort might become prolonged. 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 uncomfortable.
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 a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
You may now be thinking: my hearing aids bother me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? There are several steps you can take to lower your risk of developing ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. 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 occurs less frequently.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not sure how to properly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you suspect you may be developing an ear infection. The sooner you treat the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t recede, think about talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a few days if you have significant or lasting pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears dry and clean and regularly clean your outer ear. However, you should never stick any object in 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. You’re attempting to accomplish the exact opposite.
You probably depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you navigate your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. That makes it very difficult to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. 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. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
It’s not uncommon for individuals to get ear infections. 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.