Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common idea is that ear infections are something that usually affect children. Ear infections are certainly more common in kids 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. Hearing aids can also shelter germs that could lead to an ear infection if they aren’t correctly cleaned and maintained.
So, you may be wondering: Can I use hearing aids while I have an ear infection? Overall, the answer is yes, but you might not want to. Hearing aids could intensify the discomfort and inflammation caused by an ear infection. But individuals who use hearing aids can take a few steps to manage and possibly prevent ear infections.
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 may begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we have 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 variety of vectors that can lead to infection. In some cases, the inner ear becomes infected after an earlier illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). An infection might be caused by fluid buildup in other situations. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via direct transmission.
For individuals who wear hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing device and, upon insertion, gets access to the inner ear. Correct hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is crucial for this reason. Essentially, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your device could 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 common symptoms of an ear infection. Here are several of the most prevalent symptoms of ear infections:
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Inflammation and swelling
- Ear pain
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Vertigo or dizziness
Obviously, everyone will experience the symptoms in their own way. In the majority of cases, your infected ear will be painful and there will 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 most likely (at least in part) sit within the ear canal. Your hearing aids might cause added soreness as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. When fluids can’t drain, your discomfort may become prolonged. 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.
The functionality 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. This means that you will have a horrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Solutions to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
So what can you do if your hearing aids are bothering you while you have an ear infection? There are a number of steps you can take to lower your risk of developing ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Here are a few of those steps:
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a few days if you have significant or persistent 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 hearing specialist: If your ears start 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 important to keep your ears dry and clean and routinely clean your outer ear. However, you should never stick any object inside of your ear and that includes 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. You’re trying to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you believe you may be developing an ear infection. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can lessen the chance of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. Ask us for assistance if you’re not sure how to properly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
You probably depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you navigate your world more easily and have better communication with your family and friends. Which means that these little devices will usually be hard 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 recover from your illness more quickly and more comfortably. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
It’s not uncommon for people to get ear infections. But you should still get treatment if you notice symptoms. If you have questions about how ear infections might impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.