Surprisingly, about 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. The common notion is that ear infections are something that normally affect children. Ear infections are certainly 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 aren’t properly maintained, they can become a vector for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you might be wondering: Can I wear hearing aids while I have an ear infection? In general, the answer is yes, but you may 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 treat and possibly prevent ear infections.
Can an ear infection be caused by hearing aids?
You might be wondering 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 in order to get the full picture we have to look at 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 result in infection. In some instances, the inner ear becomes infected after an earlier illness (for instance, a sinus infection or a cold). In other cases, fluid accumulation may lead to an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via direct transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to people who wear hearing aids. The virus or bacteria hitches a ride on your hearing device and, upon insertion, gains 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 is involved in this transmission.
Interactions between hearing aids and ear infections
So what is the level of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? To understand what to expect, it’s useful to look at the most common symptoms of an ear infection. Here are several of the most common symptoms of ear infections:
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Ear pain
- Swelling and inflammation
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Fluid draining from the ear
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
Needless to say, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. In the majority of cases, your infected ear will hurt and there will likely be obvious 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 inflamed and tender, your hearing aids could cause additional discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can stop drainage. When fluids can’t 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.
The functionality of your hearing aid can also be impacted by the extra moisture. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid isn’t really working as well as it should. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
You may now be thinking: my hearing aids bother me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? There are a number of steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing ear infections and to address the discomfort that an ear infection may cause. Here are a few of those steps:
- Talk to your hearing specialist: Consider coming in to have your hearing aid re-fit if your ear infection clears but your hearing aid is still not comfortable.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you suspect that you have an ear infection, speak with your doctor as soon as you can. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears dry and clean and routinely clean your outer ear. However, you should never stick any object in your ear and that includes 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 trying to accomplish the exact opposite.
- 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. During this interim period, you can pursue other ways of communicating with your loved ones (like texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- 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 properly clean and disinfect your hearing aids.
Hearing aids are most likely a crucial part of your daily life. They help you communicate with loved ones and move around the world more easily. Which means that these little devices can often be difficult to give up, even for a short time. However, you will have a speedier 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 affected by an ear infection.