It might be a surprise to many people that approximately 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood sickness, something that affects primarily young kids. Ear infections are definitely more prevalent in children but adults do get them too.
For adults with hearing impairments or hearing loss, ear infections can be particularly inconvenient, as they can interact with hearing aids in some unpleasant ways. Hearing aids can also harbor germs that could result in an ear infection if they are not correctly cleaned and maintained.
So is it a bad idea to use hearing aids with an ear infection? In general, the answer is yes, but you may not want to. Hearing aids could intensify the discomfort and swelling caused by an ear infection. But people who use hearing aids can take a few steps to manage and possibly prevent ear infections.
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 loss. The technical answer is no. But more detail is required 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 result in infection. Sometimes, a previous illness, like a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. In other situations, fluid accumulation might result in an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via simple transmission.
For people who wear hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. The virus or bacteria hitches a ride on your hearing aid and, when inserted, gains access to the inner ear. Proper hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is essential for this reason. In other words, the hearing aid itself does not cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your hearing aid does play a part in this transmission.
Interactions between hearing aids and ear infections
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to examine the most prevalent ear infection symptoms. Generally speaking, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Ear pain
- Fluid draining from the ear
- In some instances, temporary hearing loss
- Inflammation and swelling
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- Vertigo or dizziness
Obviously, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. In the majority of circumstances, your infected ear will be painful and there will likely be obvious 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 may cause added soreness as they aggravate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Also, with a hearing aid that sits primarily inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be blocked. When fluids can’t drain, your discomfort may become prolonged. This will also increase the pressure (and pain) you feel in your ears. When you are wearing your hearing aid, pressure can be even more unpleasant.
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.
Ear infection & hearing aid strategies
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 may cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is persistent or severe, it’s okay to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears feel better. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, 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 not comfortable.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can reduce the chance of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for some instruction.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means regularly cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. Don’t try to stick any object 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. You’re attempting to accomplish the exact opposite.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you suspect you might be developing an ear infection. The sooner you treat the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
You probably depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you communicate with family and friends 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, you will have a faster recovery from your ear infection if you take a break from wearing them until you heal up. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
Ear infections are fairly common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections may impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.