Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that impacts mainly young kids. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more common in children, but they also occur frequently in adults.
Ear infections can be especially unpleasant for individuals with hearing loss because they can interfere with their hearing aids. Hearing aids can also harbor germs that could result in 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? You can, but it might not be something you want to do. Hearing aids could aggravate the discomfort and inflammation caused by an ear infection. However, there are some steps that people who use hearing aids can take to help prevent and manage ear infection symptoms.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
You might be questioning if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing impairment. Technically, the answer is no. But more nuance is required to understand the whole 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. In some circumstances, the inner ear becomes infected after a past illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). In other cases, fluid accumulation might result in an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via direct transmission.
For people who wear hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. The virus or bacteria hitches a ride on your hearing device and, when inserted, gains access to the inner ear. That’s why it is critical for those with hearing loss 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 hearing aid is involved in this transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? To understand what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most common symptoms of an ear infection. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Swelling and inflammation
- Temporary loss of hearing in some situations
- Pain in the ear
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Fluid draining from the ear
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
Not everyone will suffer from every symptom, of course. In most circumstances, your infected ear will be painful and there will most likely be noticeable inflammation around the inner ear. For individuals with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least in part) sit within the ear canal. 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. When fluids cannot drain, your discomfort may become prolonged. 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 hearing aids aren’t working at peak performance and your ears are in pain. 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
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 might 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 often.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not sure how to correctly clean and disinfect your hearing aids.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you suspect that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as you can. The sooner you address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have severe or lasting pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
- 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.
- 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 inside of your ear and that includes cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can drive earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your chance of developing an infection. This is the exact opposite of what you’re likely attempting to do.
Hearing aids are most likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you navigate your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. That makes it really difficult 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 illness more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better sooner.
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 may affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.
