It may be a surprise to many that approximately 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. The common idea is that ear infections are something that normally affect kids. Ear infections are certainly more common in children but adults do get them too.
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 plan to use hearing aids with an ear infection? Overall, the answer is yes, but you may not want to. Ear infections can cause significant 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 avoid and manage ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
If you’re an adult with hearing loss and you start to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you might begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause this ear infection? The technical answer is no. But in order to get the complete 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 number of paths that bacteria and viruses can take on their way to becoming an infection. In some instances, the inner ear becomes infected after a previous illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). An infection might be caused by fluid buildup in other instances. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via direct transmission.
This can occur with some frequency to individuals who wear hearing aids. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing aid and, upon insertion, gains access to the inner ear. Correct 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 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? To know what to expect, it’s useful to look at the most common symptoms of an ear infection. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Swelling and inflammation
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Ear pain
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
Not everybody will suffer from every symptom, of course. Usually, you will have obvious inflammation of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. For individuals 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). Because the ear canal is inflamed and tender, your hearing aids might cause additional discomfort.
Also, with a hearing aid that goes primarily inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be blocked. When fluids cannot drain, your discomfort might become prolonged. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased because of this. 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.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
So what can you do if your hearing aids are annoying you during an ear infection? There are a number of steps you can take to lower your risk of developing ear infections and to address the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Here are a few of those steps:
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. Do not try to stick anything in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. With a cotton swabs, your risk of developing an ear infection increases because you could jam earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. You’re attempting to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you suspect that you have an ear infection, speak with your doctor as soon as you can. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Think about coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection goes away but your hearing aid is still uncomfortable.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can decrease the risk of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. If you don’t know how to clean and sanitize hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is persistent or significant, it’s all right to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears are feeling better. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
Hearing aids are likely a crucial part of your daily life. They help you navigate your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. That makes it really difficult 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. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
Ear infections are relatively common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections might impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.