Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that normally impact kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more common in children, 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 uncomfortable ways. Also, when hearing aids aren’t properly maintained, they can become a vehicle for ear infection-causing diseases.
So is it a bad idea to use hearing aids with an ear infection? You can, but it may 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 prevent and manage ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
If you’re an adult with hearing impairment and you begin to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you may begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? The technical answer is no. But more detail is required to understand the complete story.
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 result in infection. Often, a previous illness, like a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. In other cases, fluid accumulation may result in an infection. It’s also entirely feasible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
For people who use hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is critical for those with hearing impairments 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.
Interactions 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 look at the most common ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Pain in the ear
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Swelling and inflammation
Not everybody will experience 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 those with hearing loss. That’s because the hearing aid goes inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Because the ear canal is irritated and tender, your hearing aids might cause extra discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent 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 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 horrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
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? You can lower your risk of developing an ear infection and address any discomfort that an ear infection might cause by taking a few steps. Here are a few of those steps:
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears start 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 while if you have significant or lasting pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. However, you should never stick any object inside of your ear and that includes cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can push earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your chance of developing an infection. This is the exact opposite of what you’re likely trying to do.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you think you may be developing an ear infection. 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 happens less often.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to correctly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
You probably 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 difficult to give up, even for a short time. 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 you should still seek treatment if you notice symptoms. If you have questions about how ear infections might impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.