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 illness, something that impacts primarily young kids. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more prevalent 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. Also, when hearing aids aren’t properly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you may 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. But people 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 start to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you may begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But more nuance is required to understand the whole story.
The vast majority of all ear infections are a result of viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a wide variety of vectors that can result in infection. In some cases, the inner ear becomes infected after an earlier illness (for instance, a sinus infection or a cold). In other situations, fluid accumulation might lead to an infection. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
For individuals who use hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. Your hearing aid accumulates this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. Correct hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is essential for this reason. Essentially, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your device might play a role in transmission.
Contact 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 prevalent ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Ear pain
- Vertigo or dizziness
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
- Swelling and inflammation
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. For those with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because the hearing aid goes inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids may 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 blocked. Your infection and discomfort may last longer if fluid is stuck in your ear. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased because of this. This pressure can be even more pronounced when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
The functionality of your hearing aid can also be impacted by the excess moisture. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid doesn’t really work 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
So what can you do if your hearing aids are annoying you during an ear infection? You can reduce your risk of developing an ear infection and address any discomfort that an ear infection may cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you think that you have an ear infection, speak with your doctor as soon as possible. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the risk of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears clean and dry and regularly 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 push earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. This is the opposite of what you’re likely trying to accomplish.
- 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 often.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to correctly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t go away, 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 severe or persistent pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
You probably depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you communicate with family and friends and move around the world more easily. That makes it really hard 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 infection more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better sooner.
It’s not unusual for individuals to get ear infections. 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.