It may be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that impacts mainly young kids. Ear infections are definitely more prevalent in kids but adults do get them too.
Ear infections can be particularly uncomfortable for individuals with hearing loss because they can interfere with their hearing aids. Hearing aids can also harbor germs that could lead to an ear infection if they aren’t correctly cleaned and maintained.
So is it a bad plan to use hearing aids with 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 exacerbate those symptoms. However, there are some steps that those who use hearing aids can take to help prevent and treat ear infection symptoms.
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 loss. The technical answer is no. But more nuance is needed to understand the whole story.
Almost all ear infections are caused by bacteria or a virus that gets into the ear. There are a wide variety 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). In other situations, fluid accumulation might lead to an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via simple transmission.
For people who use hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is crucial for individuals who have hearing impairments to correctly maintain and clean their devices. So the virus or bacteria is actually 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? To know what to expect, it’s useful to look at the most prevalent symptoms of an ear infection. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Discharge of fluid from the ear
- Ear pain
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Swelling and inflammation
Not everybody will suffer from every symptom, of course. In most cases, your infected ear will be painful and there will likely be noticeable inflammation around the inner ear. These symptoms can have a negative 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 might cause additional 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. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased because of this. This pressure can be even more pronounced when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
This added moisture can also impair the function of your hearing aid. So your hearing aids aren’t functioning at peak performance and your ears are in pain. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
You might now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy 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. Here are a few of those steps:
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t go away, consider talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can reduce the risk of transmitting bacteria or viruses to your ears. Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to correctly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- 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.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you think you may be developing an ear infection. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears clean and dry and routinely clean your outer ear. Don’t 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.
You most likely depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you communicate with loved ones and move about the world more easily. 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 illness more quickly and more comfortably. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
It’s not unusual for individuals 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.