Surprisingly, about 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that normally affect children. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more prevalent in kids, but they also happen frequently in adults.
Ear infections can be particularly unpleasant for individuals who have hearing loss because they can interfere with their hearing aids. Additionally, when hearing aids aren’t properly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you may be wondering: Can I use hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Ear infections can cause considerable swelling and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may worsen those symptoms. However, there are some steps that people who use hearing aids can take to help avoid and manage ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
You may be questioning if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing impairment. The technical answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we have to look at it in greater detail.
The vast majority of all ear infections are caused by viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a wide variety of vectors that can lead to infection. Often, an earlier illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. An infection may be caused by fluid buildup in other situations. It’s also completely 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. 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 hearing aid does play a part in this 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. Generally speaking, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Discharge of fluid from the ear
- Vertigo or dizziness
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Inflammation and swelling
- Ear pain
Not everybody will suffer from every symptom, of course. In most circumstances, your infected ear will hurt and there will most likely be noticeable swelling around the inner ear. For people with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because the hearing aid goes inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids may cause added soreness as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. Your infection and discomfort might last longer if fluid is trapped 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 extra 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 an absolutely 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 might cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you suspect that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears start 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 lasting pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
- 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 occurs less often.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to properly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means regularly cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. 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 jam earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. This is the opposite of what you’re likely attempting to do.
Hearing aids are most likely an essential part of your daily life. They help you get around your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. That makes it very hard to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. However, you will have a faster recovery from your ear infection if you take a break from wearing them until you heal up. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
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 affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.