It might be a surprise to many that approximately 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that impacts primarily young kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more common in kids, 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. Also, when hearing aids are not correctly maintained, they can become a vehicle for ear infection-causing diseases.
So is it a bad idea to use hearing aids with an ear infection? Overall, the answer is yes, but you may not want to. Ear infections can cause considerable inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids might exacerbate those symptoms. But individuals who use hearing aids can take a few steps to manage and possibly prevent ear infections.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
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 full picture we need to view it in greater detail.
Nearly all ear infections are caused by bacteria or a virus that gets into the ear. There are a wide range of vectors that can lead to infection. In some circumstances, the inner ear becomes infected after a past illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). In other cases, fluid accumulation may result in an infection. It’s also entirely feasible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to individuals who wear hearing aids. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is crucial for people with hearing impairments to properly maintain and clean their devices. In other words, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your device may play a role in transmission.
Contact 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 prevalent ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Ear pain
- Temporary loss of hearing in some situations
- Swelling and inflammation
Not everybody will experience every symptom, of course. In most circumstances, your infected ear will hurt and there will most likely be obvious inflammation around the inner ear. These symptoms can have a negative interaction with hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least partially) sit within the ear canal. Because the ear canal is inflamed and tender, your hearing aids may cause extra discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. 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.
This increased moisture can also impede the operation of your hearing aid. So your hearing aids aren’t functioning at peak performance and your ears are in pain. 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 while you have an ear infection? You can reduce your risk of getting an ear infection and manage any discomfort that an ear infection might cause by taking a few steps. Here are a few of those steps:
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Making sure your devices are clean can help to ensure they aren’t transmitting bacteria and viruses to your ears (or, at least, that it happens less frequently.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to correctly clean and disinfect 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, think about talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you suspect you may be developing an ear infection. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is prolonged or significant, it’s okay to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears are feeling better. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears clean and dry and routinely clean your outer ear. However, you should never stick any object in your ear and that includes cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can push earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your chance of developing an infection. This is the opposite of what you’re likely attempting to accomplish.
Hearing aids are most likely a crucial part of your daily life. They help you communicate with family and friends and move about the world more easily. Which means that these little devices can often 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.
It’s not unusual for individuals to get ear infections. But you should still get treatment if you detect symptoms. If you have questions about how ear infections may impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.