Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood sickness, something that affects mainly young kids. 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 especially inconvenient, as they can interact with hearing aids in some unpleasant ways. Also, 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? Overall, the answer is yes, but you may not want to. Hearing aids could aggravate the discomfort and swelling caused by an ear infection. However, there are some steps that people who use hearing aids can take to help prevent and treat ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
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 required to understand the complete story.
Nearly 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. Often, a previous illness, like a cold or sinus infection, will result in an infection of the inner ear. An infection might be caused by fluid buildup in other instances. It’s also entirely feasible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
For people who use hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing aid and, upon insertion, gets access to the inner ear. Proper hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is crucial for this reason. So the virus or bacteria is actually the cause of the infection, not the hearing aid itself. But your hearing aid does play a part in this 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 prevalent ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Swelling and inflammation
- Ear pain
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Dizziness or vertigo
Obviously, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. In most cases, your infected ear will be painful and there will most likely be obvious swelling around the inner ear. These symptoms can have an adverse interaction with hearing aids for those with hearing loss. That’s because the hearing aid is inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Because the ear canal is irritated and tender, your hearing aids may cause additional discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. Your infection and discomfort may last longer if fluid is trapped 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 excess moisture. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid doesn’t really work as well as it should. This means that you will have a horrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Solutions to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
So what can you do if your hearing aids are annoying 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: Keeping your device clean can decrease the chance of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. If you don’t know how to clean and sanitize hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you suspect you might be developing an ear infection. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will decrease the risk of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears dry and clean and regularly clean your outer ear. Do not 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. This is the opposite of what you’re likely attempting to accomplish.
- 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.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is prolonged or significant, it’s okay to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears feel better. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
Hearing aids are likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you communicate with family and friends and move around the world more easily. That makes it very hard 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 recuperate from your infection more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
It’s not unusual for people to get ear infections. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections may affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.
