Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common idea is that ear infections are something that usually impact kids. Ear infections are definitely more prevalent in children but adults do get them too.
Ear infections can be especially unpleasant for people with hearing loss because they can interfere with their hearing aids. Hearing aids can also shelter germs that could lead to an ear infection if they aren’t correctly cleaned and maintained.
So, you may be wondering: Can I wear hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Ear infections can cause substantial inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may exacerbate those symptoms. But individuals who use hearing aids can take a few steps to treat and possibly prevent ear infections.
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 might begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? The technical answer is no. But in order to get the full picture we have to look at it in greater detail.
Almost all ear infections are caused by bacteria or a virus that gets into the ear. There are quite a few paths that bacteria and viruses can take on their way to becoming an infection. Often, an earlier illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will result in an infection of the inner ear. In other cases, fluid accumulation might result in an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via simple transmission.
For people who use hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing device and, when inserted, gets 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 may play a role in transmission.
Interactions between hearing aids and ear infections
So what is the level of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to look at the most common ear infection symptoms. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Swelling and inflammation
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Pain in the ear
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Vertigo or dizziness
Not everyone will suffer from every symptom, of course. Typically, you will have obvious inflammation 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 partially) reside within the ear canal. Your hearing aids could cause added soreness as they aggravate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can stop drainage. When fluids cannot drain, your discomfort might become prolonged. 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 unpleasant.
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 doesn’t really work as well as it should. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
So what can you do if your hearing aids are annoying you during an ear infection? There are a number of steps you can take to lower your risk of getting ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection may cause. Those steps include the following:
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can reduce the risk of transmitting bacteria or viruses to your ears. Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to properly clean and disinfect your hearing aids.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a few days if you have severe or persistent pain. During this interim period, you can adopt other ways of communicating with your loved ones (such as texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should talk to your doctor sooner than later if you believe you might be developing an ear infection. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears clean and dry. Do not try to stick any object in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. With a cotton swabs, your chance of developing an ear infection increases because you could push earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. You’re attempting to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t go away, consider talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
Hearing aids are likely a crucial part of your everyday life. 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, taking a break from your hearing aids while you have an ear infection can help you recuperate from your sickness more quickly and more comfortably. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
Ear infections are fairly common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get treatment or try to prevent them. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.