It may be a surprise to many people that approximately 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that impacts mainly young kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more common 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 uncomfortable ways. Also, when hearing aids aren’t correctly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So is it a bad plan to use hearing aids with an ear infection? Overall, the answer is yes, but you might not want to. Hearing aids could intensify the discomfort and swelling caused by an ear infection. But individuals who use hearing aids can take a few steps to treat 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 impairment. Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we have to look at it in greater detail.
Almost all ear infections are caused by bacteria or a virus that gets into the ear. There are a number of 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 might result in an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to individuals who wear hearing aids. The virus or bacteria hitches a ride on your hearing aid and, upon insertion, gains access to the inner ear. That’s why it is crucial for people who have hearing impairments to correctly maintain and clean their devices. 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.
Interactions 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 common ear infection symptoms. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Ear pain
- In some situations, temporary hearing loss
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Discharge of fluid from the ear
- Swelling and inflammation
Obviously, everyone 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 a negative interaction with hearing aids for those with hearing loss. That’s because the hearing aid is inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids may cause added discomfort as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. When fluids cannot drain, your discomfort might become prolonged. This will also increase the pressure (and pain) you feel in your ears. When you are wearing your hearing aid, pressure can be even more unpleasant.
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 isn’t really working 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 bothering you while you have 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:
- 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 frequently.) Ask us for help if you’re not sure how to properly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- 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 will be.
- 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 uncomfortable.
- 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 feel better. During this time off, you can adopt 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: It’s essential to keep your ears clean and dry and routinely clean your outer ear. Do not 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.
You most likely 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 infection more quickly and more comfortably. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
Ear infections are fairly common. But you should still seek treatment if you notice symptoms. If you have questions about how ear infections might affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.