Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that usually affect kids. Ear infections are certainly more prevalent in children but adults do get them too.
Ear infections can be especially uncomfortable for individuals with hearing loss because they can interact with their hearing aids. Hearing aids can also harbor germs that could result in an ear infection if they aren’t properly cleaned and maintained.
So, you might 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. Ear infections can cause significant swelling and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may worsen 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 loss 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 in order to get the full picture we need to look at it in greater detail.
Nearly 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, a previous illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will result in an infection of the inner ear. In other situations, fluid buildup may lead to an infection. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
This can occur with some frequency to people who use hearing aids. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing aid 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 really the cause of the infection, not the hearing aid itself. 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 examine the most prevalent ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Inflammation and swelling
- Dizziness or vertigo
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
- Pain in the ear
- Discharge of fluid from the ear
Not everyone will experience every symptom, of course. Typically, you will have noticeable 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 is inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids might cause added discomfort as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can stop drainage. Your infection and discomfort may last longer if fluid is stuck in your ear. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased as a result 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 excess 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 solutions
So what can you do if your hearing aids are bothering you during an ear infection? You can lower your risk of getting an ear infection and manage any discomfort that an ear infection might cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- 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.
- 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 pursue other means 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 speak with your doctor sooner than later if you think you might 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: Keeping your device clean can reduce the chance of transmitting bacteria or viruses to your ears. If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears dry and clean and routinely clean your outer ear. Don’t try to stick anything 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 trying to accomplish the exact opposite.
Hearing aids are likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you navigate your world more easily and have better communication with your family and friends. That makes it really hard to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. 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.
Ear infections are fairly common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections might affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.
