Surprisingly, around 20% of all ear infections afflict adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that affects mainly young kids. Ear infections are certainly more common in kids but adults do get them too.
Ear infections can be especially uncomfortable for individuals who have hearing loss because they can interact with their hearing aids. Hearing aids can also harbor germs that could result in an ear infection if they aren’t properly cleaned and maintained.
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 intensify 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?
You may be questioning if your hearing aid is the cause of your ear infection if you’re an adult with hearing loss. Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the complete picture we have to look at it in greater detail.
The vast majority of all ear infections are a result of viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a number of paths that bacteria and viruses can take on their way to becoming an infection. Sometimes, an earlier illness, like a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. An infection might be caused by fluid accumulation in other instances. And it’s also definitely possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear through simple transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to individuals who wear hearing aids. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is critical for people who have hearing loss to properly maintain and clean their devices. In other words, the hearing aid itself does not cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your hearing aid is involved in this transmission.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So what is the level of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? The best way to anticipate what to expect is to look at the most common ear infection symptoms. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Swelling and inflammation
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Ear pain
- Discharge of fluid from the ear
- In some cases, temporary hearing loss
- Dizziness or vertigo
Obviously, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. In most cases, your infected ear will be painful and there will most 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). Because the ear canal is inflamed and tender, your hearing aids may cause extra discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can stop drainage. Your infection and discomfort may last longer if fluid is stuck 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 unpleasant.
The performance of your hearing aid can also be impacted by the extra moisture. 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 terrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Strategies to wearing hearing aids with an ear infection
You might now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? You can reduce your risk of getting an ear infection and manage any discomfort that an ear infection may cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can reduce the chance of transmitting bacteria or viruses to your ears. If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for a quick tutorial.
- 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 uncomfortable.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you suspect that you have an ear infection, speak with your doctor as soon as you can. The sooner you treat the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s important to keep your ears dry and clean and routinely clean your outer ear. Do not try to stick anything in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can drive earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your risk of developing an infection. This is the exact opposite of what you’re likely attempting to accomplish.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is prolonged 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.
You most likely depend heavily on your hearing aid every day. They help you get around your world more easily and have better communication with your friends and family. 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. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
It’s not uncommon for people to get ear infections. But you should still seek treatment if you notice symptoms. If you have questions about how ear infections may affect your hearing aid use, give us a call today.
