It might be a surprise to many people that approximately 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common idea is that ear infections are something that normally affect kids. Ear infections are definitely more common in children but adults do get them too.
For adults with hearing impairments or hearing loss, ear infections can be especially inconvenient, as they can interact with hearing aids in some unpleasant ways. Also, when hearing aids are not properly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So is it a bad idea to use hearing aids with an ear infection? In general, the answer is yes, but you may not want to. Ear infections can cause substantial inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may exacerbate those symptoms. However, there are some steps that people who use hearing aids can take to help prevent and manage ear infection symptoms.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
If you’re an adult with hearing impairment and you begin to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you might begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? The technical answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we need to view it in greater detail.
Almost 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 an earlier illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). In other situations, fluid accumulation may result in an infection. It’s also completely possible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
For individuals who wear hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. Your hearing aid accumulates this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. Proper 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 could 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 common ear infection symptoms. In general, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Inflammation and swelling
- Ear pain
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
Needless to say, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. In most circumstances, your infected ear will be painful and there will most likely be obvious swelling around the inner ear. These symptoms can have an adverse interaction with hearing aids for people with hearing loss. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least in part) reside within the ear canal. Because the ear canal is inflamed and tender, your hearing aids may cause additional discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. Your infection and discomfort might last longer if fluid is stuck in your ear. 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 uncomfortable.
The performance of your hearing aid can also be impacted by the excess moisture. So your hearing aids aren’t working 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.
Solutions to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
You may now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Here are a few of those steps:
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you think you may be developing an ear infection. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can reduce the risk of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. Ask us for assistance if you’re not sure how to correctly clean and disinfect your hearing aids.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is prolonged or significant, it’s all right to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears are feeling better. During this time off, you can pursue other ways of communicating with your loved ones (such as texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin 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.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears clean and dry and regularly clean your outer ear. Do not try to stick any object in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can drive earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your risk of developing an infection. This is the opposite of what you’re likely trying to accomplish.
Hearing aids are likely a crucial part of your everyday life. They help you communicate with loved ones and move about the world more easily. That makes it very 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 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 that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections may impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.