Surprisingly, about 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood sickness, something that affects mainly young kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more prevalent in children, but they also happen 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. Hearing aids can also harbor germs that could result in an ear infection if they are not properly cleaned and maintained.
So is it a bad idea to use hearing aids with an ear infection? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Ear infections can cause substantial swelling and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids might worsen those symptoms. But individuals who use hearing aids can take a few steps to manage and possibly prevent ear infections.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
You might be wondering if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing loss. Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we need to look at 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 a wide range of vectors that can result in infection. In some instances, the inner ear becomes infected after a previous illness (for instance, a sinus infection or a cold). In other cases, fluid buildup may result in an infection. It’s also entirely possible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
For people who wear hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing aid and, upon insertion, gets access to the inner ear. Correct hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is crucial for this reason. So the virus or bacteria is really the cause of the infection, not the hearing aid itself. But your device might play a role in transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So what is the degree of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to look at the most prevalent ear infection symptoms. Here are a few of the most prevalent symptoms of ear infections:
- Ear pain
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- In some situations, temporary hearing loss
- Inflammation and swelling
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
Not everybody will suffer from every symptom, of course. In most cases, your infected ear will hurt and there will likely be obvious swelling around the inner ear. These symptoms can have an adverse interaction with hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss. That’s because the hearing aid is inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Because the ear canal is irritated and tender, your hearing aids may cause extra discomfort.
Also, with a hearing aid that goes mostly inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be obstructed. 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 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. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
So what can you do if your hearing aids are annoying you during an ear infection? You can lower your risk of developing an ear infection and manage 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, talk to your doctor as soon as you can. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have severe or persistent pain. During this interim period, you can pursue other means of communicating with your loved ones (like texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears clean and dry and routinely clean your outer ear. Don’t try to stick any object in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can push earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your chance of developing an infection. You’re attempting to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can lessen the chance of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. Ask us for help if you’re not sure how to properly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears start to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t recede, consider talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
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 friends and family. Which means that these little devices will usually be difficult 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 illness more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better sooner.
Ear infections are relatively common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out treatment or try to prevent them. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be affected by an ear infection.
