Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that normally affect children. Ear infections are certainly more common in children but adults do get them too.
Ear infections can be especially uncomfortable for individuals who have hearing loss because they can interact with their hearing aids. Additionally, when hearing aids are not properly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So is it a bad plan to use hearing aids with an ear infection? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Ear infections can cause considerable inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids might worsen those symptoms. But individuals who use hearing aids can take a few steps to manage and possibly prevent ear infections.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
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 this ear infection? The technical answer is no. But in order to get the full 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 wide range 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). In other cases, fluid buildup may result in an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
For people who use 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. That’s why it is crucial for people 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 may play a role in transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So what is the level of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to look at the most prevalent ear infection symptoms. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Dizziness or vertigo
- In some cases, temporary hearing loss
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Ear pain
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Swelling and inflammation
Not everyone will suffer from every symptom, of course. In most circumstances, your infected ear will be painful and there will most likely be obvious swelling around the inner ear. For those 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 could cause extra discomfort.
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. 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 extra moisture. 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.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
So what can you do if your hearing aids are bothering you while you have 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. Here are a few of those steps:
- 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 occurs less frequently.) If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have significant or lasting pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears clean and dry and regularly clean your outer ear. However, you should never stick any object in your ear and that includes cotton swabs. With a cotton swabs, your chance of developing an ear infection increases because you could push earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. This is the exact opposite of what you’re likely attempting to accomplish.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should talk to your doctor sooner than later if you think you may be developing an ear infection. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Consider coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection goes away but your hearing aid is still uncomfortable.
You most likely depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you navigate your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. Which means that these little devices can often be difficult to give up, even for a short time. However, you will have a speedier recovery from your ear infection if you take a break from wearing them until you heal up. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
It’s not unusual for individuals to get ear infections. But you should still get treatment if you detect symptoms. If you have questions about how ear infections might affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.