Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood illness, something that affects mainly young kids. Ear infections are certainly more common in kids 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 uncomfortable ways. Additionally, when hearing aids aren’t properly maintained, they can become a vehicle for ear infection-causing diseases.
So, you may be wondering: Can I wear hearing aids while I have an ear infection? In general, the answer is yes, but you might not want to. Ear infections can cause significant swelling and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may worsen those symptoms. However, there are some steps that those who use hearing aids can take to help prevent and treat ear infection symptoms.
Do hearing aids cause ear infections?
If you’re an adult with hearing loss and you start to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you might begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause this ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But more nuance is required to understand the complete 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. Often, a previous illness, like a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. In other cases, fluid buildup might result in an infection. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via simple transmission.
For individuals who wear hearing aids, this can be a regular occurrence. The virus or bacteria latches onto your hearing aid and, when inserted, gains access to the inner ear. That’s why it is critical for individuals with hearing loss to properly maintain and clean their devices. Essentially, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your device could play a role in transmission.
Contact between hearing aids and ear infections
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? To know what to expect, it’s useful to look at the most prevalent symptoms of an ear infection. In general, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- In some cases, temporary hearing loss
- Swelling and inflammation
- Dizziness or vertigo
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Pain in the ear
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Needless to say, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. In most circumstances, your infected ear will hurt and there will likely be noticeable inflammation around the inner ear. These symptoms can have an adverse 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). Your hearing aids may cause added discomfort as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Also, with a hearing aid that sits mostly inside the ear canal, fluid drainage can be obstructed. Your infection and discomfort might last longer if fluid is trapped in your ear. 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 uncomfortable.
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. This means that you will have a terrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Solutions to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
So what can you do if your hearing aids are annoying you while you have an ear infection? There are several steps you can take to lower your risk of getting ear infections and to address the discomfort that an ear infection might cause. Here are a few of those steps:
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means regularly cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. However, you should never stick any object in your ear and that includes cotton swabs. With a cotton swabs, your risk 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.
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t recede, consider talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have significant or lasting pain. During this time off, you can adopt other means 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 transmitting bacteria and viruses to your ears (or, at least, that it occurs less frequently.) Ask us for assistance if you’re not sure how to correctly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
- 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 address the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
Hearing aids are likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you communicate with family and friends and move around the world more easily. Which means that these little devices will usually be hard 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 quicker.
It’s not unusual for people 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 impact your hearing aid use, give us a call today.