Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common idea is that ear infections are something that usually affect kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more prevalent in kids, but they also occur frequently in adults.
Ear infections can be particularly unpleasant for people who have hearing loss because they can interact with their hearing aids. Additionally, when hearing aids are not properly maintained, they can become a vehicle for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you might be wondering: Can I use hearing aids while I have an ear infection? In general, the answer is yes, but you might not want to. Hearing aids could aggravate the discomfort and inflammation caused by an ear infection. But individuals who use hearing aids can take a few steps to manage and possibly prevent ear infections.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
You might 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 in order to get the full picture we have to view it in greater detail.
Almost all ear infections are caused by bacteria or a virus that gets into the ear. There are a wide range of vectors that can lead to infection. Often, a previous illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. In other situations, fluid buildup may result in an infection. It’s also entirely feasible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
For individuals who wear hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. 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 correctly maintain and clean their devices. Essentially, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your hearing aid does play a part in this transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
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:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Ear pain
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Temporary loss of hearing in some situations
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Swelling and inflammation
Not everyone will experience every symptom, of course. Usually, 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 the hearing aid is inside the infected ear (at least some of it). Your hearing aids could cause added discomfort as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. When fluids cannot drain, your discomfort might become prolonged. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased because of this. When you are wearing your hearing aid, pressure can be even more unpleasant.
This added moisture can also impede the function of your hearing aid. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid doesn’t really work as well as it should. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
Solutions 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? There are a number of steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting ear infections and to address the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Those steps include the following:
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should talk to your doctor sooner than later if you think you might be developing an ear infection. The sooner you treat the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a few days if you have severe or lasting pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears start to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t recede, think about talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
- 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 happens less frequently.) If you don’t know how to clean and sanitize hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means regularly cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears clean and dry. Don’t 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 jam earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. This is the opposite of what you’re likely attempting to do.
You most likely depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. 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 illness more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
Ear infections are relatively 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 affected by an ear infection.