It may be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood illness, something that impacts mainly young kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more prevalent in children, but they also happen frequently in adults.
Ear infections can be especially unpleasant for individuals with hearing loss because they can interfere with their hearing aids. Also, when hearing aids aren’t 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? In general, 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 avoid and treat ear infection symptoms.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
If you’re an adult with hearing impairment and you begin to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you may begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the full picture we need to look at it in greater detail.
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 instances, the inner ear becomes infected after a past illness (for instance, a sinus infection or a cold). In other situations, fluid buildup may result in an infection. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through direct transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to individuals who wear hearing aids. Your hearing aid accumulates this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is crucial for those who have hearing loss to properly 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 may 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 common symptoms of an ear infection. Generally speaking, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Inflammation and swelling
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Ear pain
- Dizziness or vertigo
Obviously, everyone will experience the symptoms in their own way. In the majority of cases, your infected ear will hurt and there will most likely be noticeable inflammation around the inner ear. For those with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because the hearing aid goes inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids might cause added soreness as they aggravate 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 pronounced when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
This increased moisture can also impede the operation of your hearing aid. 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.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
You might now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? You can lower your risk of getting an ear infection and manage any discomfort that an ear infection might cause by taking a few steps. Here are a few of those steps:
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Think about coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection clears but your hearing aid is still uncomfortable.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have significant or persistent pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. Do not try to stick anything in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. With a cotton swabs, your chance 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.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you believe you might be developing an ear infection. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the risk of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- 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.) If you don’t know how to clean and sanitize hearing aids, talk to us for a quick tutorial.
You probably depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you communicate with loved ones and move around the world more easily. That makes it really hard to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. However, you will have a faster recovery from your ear infection if you take a break from wearing them until you heal up. This will help you get back to feeling better sooner.
Ear infections are fairly common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get treatment or try to prevent them. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.