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 usually impact children. Ear infections are definitely more prevalent in kids but adults do get them too.
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. Hearing aids can also shelter germs that could lead to an ear infection if they are not properly cleaned and maintained.
So is it a bad plan to use hearing aids with an ear infection? In general, the answer is yes, but you may not want to. 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.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
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 full picture we need to view it in greater detail.
The vast majority of all ear infections are caused by viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a wide variety of vectors that can result in infection. Often, an earlier illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will result in an infection of the inner ear. In other situations, fluid accumulation may lead to an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through simple transmission.
This can occur with some frequency to people who wear hearing aids. Your hearing aid accumulates this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is crucial for those with hearing impairments 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 device might play a role in transmission.
Interactions between hearing aids and ear infections
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? To understand what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most common symptoms of an ear infection. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Pain in the ear
- Inflammation and swelling
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Fluid draining from the ear
Obviously, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. Typically, you will have noticeable swelling of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. These symptoms can have an adverse interaction with hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss. That’s because the hearing aid goes inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids may cause added soreness as they aggravate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Also, with a hearing aid that sits mostly inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be obstructed. Your infection and discomfort may last longer if fluid is stuck in your ear. This will also increase the pressure (and pain) you feel in your ears. This pressure can be even more marked when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
This added moisture can also impede 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.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
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 getting an ear infection and address any discomfort that an ear infection may cause by taking a few steps. Here are a few of those steps:
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can decrease the risk of transmitting bacteria or viruses to your ears. Ask us for help if you’re not certain how to properly clean and disinfect your hearing aids.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you think that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will decrease the risk of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Consider coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection goes away but your hearing aid is still not comfortable.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is persistent or significant, it’s okay to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears feel better. During this interim period, you can pursue other ways of communicating with your loved ones (like texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- 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 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. This is the opposite of what you’re likely trying to do.
Hearing aids are most likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you get around your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. Which means that these little devices will usually 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 get treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections may affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.