It may be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that affects mainly young kids. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more prevalent 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. Also, when hearing aids are not correctly maintained, they can become a vehicle for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you might be wondering: Can I use hearing aids while I have an ear infection? In general, the answer is yes, but you might not want to. Ear infections can cause considerable inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids might worsen those symptoms. However, there are some steps that those who use hearing aids can take to help avoid and treat ear infection symptoms.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
You may be questioning if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing loss. The technical answer is no. But more detail is needed to understand the complete story.
Nearly 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. In some circumstances, the inner ear becomes infected after an earlier illness (for instance, a sinus infection or a cold). An infection might be caused by fluid accumulation in other instances. It’s also entirely possible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to individuals who use hearing aids. Your hearing aid accumulates this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is critical for people with hearing loss 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 does play a part in this transmission.
Interactions between hearing aids and ear infections
So what is the degree of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to examine the most prevalent ear infection symptoms. Here are a few of the most prevalent symptoms of ear infections:
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Swelling and inflammation
- Ear pain
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
Needless to say, everyone will experience the symptoms in their own way. In most cases, your infected ear will be painful and there will likely be noticeable inflammation around the inner ear. For people with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because your hearing aid will most likely (at least in part) reside within the ear canal. Your hearing aids may cause added soreness as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Also, with a hearing aid that goes mostly inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be obstructed. Your infection and discomfort may 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 marked when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
This added moisture can also impede the function of your hearing aid. 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.
Strategies to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
You may now be thinking: my hearing aids bother me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? There are a number of steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection may cause. Those steps include the following:
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears clean and dry. 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 push earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. You’re attempting to accomplish the exact opposite.
- 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 friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Think about coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection clears but your hearing aid is still not comfortable.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you suspect you might be developing an ear infection. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- 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 sanitize hearing aids, talk to us for a quick tutorial.
You probably depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you communicate with family and friends and move about the world more easily. Which means that these little devices will usually be difficult to give up, even for a short time. However, you will have a quicker recovery from your ear infection if you take a break from wearing them until you heal up. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
It’s not uncommon for people to get ear infections. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get treatment or try to prevent them. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.