It may be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common idea is that ear infections are something that usually affect children. Ear infections are definitely more prevalent in children 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. Also, when hearing aids aren’t correctly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you might 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. 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 people who use hearing aids can take to help prevent and manage ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
If you’re an adult with hearing loss and you start to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you may begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause this ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the full picture we need to view it in greater detail.
The vast majority of all ear infections are caused by viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a wide range of vectors that can result in infection. In some circumstances, the inner ear becomes infected after a past illness (for instance, a sinus infection or a cold). An infection might be caused by fluid accumulation in other situations. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through simple transmission.
For individuals who wear hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. 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 impairments to correctly maintain and clean their devices. So the virus or bacteria is really the cause of the infection, not the hearing aid itself. But your device might play a role in transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to look at the most common ear infection symptoms. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Ear pain
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Swelling and inflammation
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
Not everyone will experience every symptom, of course. Usually, you will have noticeable inflammation of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. For individuals with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because the hearing aid is inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids may cause added discomfort as they aggravate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can stop drainage. When fluids can’t drain, your discomfort may become prolonged. 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 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. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be an absolutely miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
So what can you do if your hearing aids are bothering you during an ear infection? There are a number of steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing ear infections and to address the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Those steps include the following:
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. Do not try to stick any object 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.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is prolonged or severe, it’s okay to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears are feeling better. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you suspect that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you treat the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin 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.
- 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.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to correctly clean and disinfect your hearing aids.
You most likely depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you get around your world more easily and have better communication with your family and friends. That makes it really difficult to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. 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. If you have questions about how ear infections might affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.
