It may be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that normally affect kids. 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 properly cleaned and maintained.
So is it a bad idea to use hearing aids with an ear infection? Overall, the answer is yes, but you might not want to. Ear infections can cause significant inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may worsen those symptoms. But people 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?
You may be wondering if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing impairment. The technical answer is no. But more nuance is needed to understand the complete story.
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 lead to infection. In some instances, the inner ear becomes infected after an earlier illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). An infection may be caused by fluid accumulation in other situations. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through simple transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to people who wear hearing aids. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing device and, when inserted, gains access to the inner ear. Proper hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is essential for this reason. So the virus or bacteria is actually the cause of the infection, not the hearing aid itself. But your device could play a role in transmission.
Contact 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
- Pain in the ear
- Swelling and inflammation
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Dizziness or vertigo
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
Not everybody will suffer from every symptom, of course. Typically, you will have noticeable inflammation of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. For those with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because your hearing aid will most likely (at least partially) reside within the ear canal. Your hearing aids may cause added soreness as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
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. This pressure can be even more marked when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
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 terrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Strategies to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
You might now be thinking: my hearing aids bother me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? There are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting ear infections and to manage the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Those steps include the following:
- 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 time off, you can adopt other means 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: Consider coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection goes away but your hearing aid is still not comfortable.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you think that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as you can. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. Don’t try to stick any object 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 trying to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can decrease the risk of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for a quick tutorial.
You probably 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 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 infection more quickly and more comfortably. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
It’s not uncommon for individuals 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.
