Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood illness, something that impacts primarily young kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more common in children, but they also occur frequently in adults.
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. Hearing aids can also shelter germs that could lead to an ear infection if they are not properly cleaned and maintained.
So, you may be wondering: Can I wear hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Hearing aids could intensify 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?
If you’re an adult with hearing loss 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 more nuance is required to understand the whole story.
Almost 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 past illness (for instance, a sinus infection or a cold). An infection may be caused by fluid accumulation in other instances. It’s also completely possible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to people who use hearing aids. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is crucial for individuals who have hearing impairments to properly maintain and clean their devices. Essentially, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your hearing aid is involved in this transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So what is the degree of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? To understand what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most common symptoms of an ear infection. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Inflammation and swelling
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Ear pain
- Temporary loss of hearing in some situations
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
Obviously, everyone will experience the symptoms in their own way. In most cases, your infected ear will be painful and there will most likely be noticeable swelling around the inner ear. For individuals with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least partially) reside within the ear canal. Because the ear canal is inflamed and tender, your hearing aids may cause extra discomfort.
Also, with a hearing aid that goes mostly inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be blocked. When fluids can’t drain, your discomfort might become prolonged. This will also increase the pressure (and pain) you feel in your ears. This pressure can be even more marked when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
The functionality 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 a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
So what can you do if your hearing aids are bothering you while you have an ear infection? There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection may cause. Those steps include the following:
- 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.) If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you suspect that you have an ear infection, speak with your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
- 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 persistent pain. During this interim period, you can pursue other means of communicating with your loved ones (such as texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. However, you should never stick any object inside of your ear and that includes cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can drive earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your chance of developing an infection. This is the opposite of what you’re likely attempting to accomplish.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears start to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t recede, consider talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
Hearing aids are most likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you get around your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. That makes it very 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 infection more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better sooner.
It’s not uncommon for individuals to get ear infections. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out treatment or try to prevent them. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.