Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that usually impact children. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more prevalent in kids, but they also occur frequently in adults.
Ear infections can be particularly uncomfortable for people who have hearing loss because they can interact with their hearing aids. Hearing aids can also shelter germs that could lead to an ear infection if they are not properly cleaned and maintained.
So, you might be wondering: Can I use hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it may not be something you want to do. Hearing aids could aggravate the discomfort and inflammation caused by an ear infection. However, there are some steps that those who use hearing aids can take to help avoid and treat 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. Technically, the answer is no. But more detail is needed to understand the complete story.
Almost all ear infections are caused by bacteria or a virus that gets into the ear. There are a wide variety of vectors that can result in infection. Often, a previous illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will result in an infection of the inner ear. 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 people who use hearing aids. The virus or bacteria hitches a ride on your hearing aid and, when inserted, gains access to the inner ear. That’s why it is critical for individuals who have hearing loss to properly maintain and clean their devices. In other words, the hearing aid itself does not cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your device might play a role in transmission.
Interactions between hearing aids and ear infections
So what is the degree of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? To know what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most prevalent symptoms of an ear infection. Here are some of the most prevalent symptoms of ear infections:
- Inflammation and swelling
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Pain in the ear
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
Obviously, everyone will experience the symptoms in their own way. Usually, you will have noticeable swelling of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. These symptoms can have an adverse interaction with hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss. That’s because the hearing aid is inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids could cause added soreness as they aggravate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can stop 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. This pressure can be even more pronounced when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
This increased moisture can also impede the operation of your hearing aid. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid isn’t really working as well as it should. This means that you will have a horrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Strategies to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
So what can you do if your hearing aids are bothering you during an ear infection? You can lower your risk of getting an ear infection and address any discomfort that an ear infection may cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- 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 while if you have severe or lasting pain. During this interim period, 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 healthcare provider: If you think that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will decrease the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- 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 chance of developing an ear infection increases because you could jam earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. This is the exact opposite of what you’re likely trying to do.
- 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 happens less often.) If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for a quick tutorial.
Hearing aids are likely an essential part of your daily life. They help you communicate with family and friends and move around the world more easily. 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. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
Ear infections are fairly common. But you should still seek treatment if you detect symptoms. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.