It might be a surprise to many people that roughly 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. Most people think of ear infections as a childhood ailment, something that impacts primarily young kids. Ear infections are certainly more common in kids but adults do get them too.
Ear infections can be particularly unpleasant for people who have hearing loss because they can interfere with their hearing aids. Also, when hearing aids aren’t correctly maintained, they can become a vehicle 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 might not want to. Ear infections can cause significant swelling and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids might exacerbate those symptoms. 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?
If you’re an adult with hearing loss and you start to notice the symptoms of an ear infection, you may begin to wonder: did my hearing aids cause my ear infection? Technically, the answer is no. But in order to get the complete 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 lead to infection. In some circumstances, the inner ear becomes infected after an earlier illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). An infection might be caused by fluid accumulation in other situations. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via simple transmission.
For individuals who wear hearing aids, this can be a frequent occurrence. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. That’s why it is critical for individuals who have hearing impairments to properly maintain and clean their devices. 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.
How ear infections interact with hearing aids
So what is the level of interaction between hearing aids and ear infections? To know what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most prevalent symptoms of an ear infection. In general, ear infections will have the following symptoms:
- Ear pressure or a feeling of fullness
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Ear pain
- Swelling and inflammation
- Temporary loss of hearing in some cases
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Not everybody will experience every symptom, of course. In the majority of cases, your infected ear will be painful and there will likely be noticeable swelling 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 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 prevent drainage. Your infection and discomfort might last longer if fluid is trapped in your ear. The pain and pressure in your ears will be increased as a result of this. This pressure can be even more pronounced when you’re wearing your hearing aid.
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 horrible time wearing your hearing aid while you have an ear infection.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
You might now be thinking: my hearing aids annoy me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? You can lower your risk of developing an ear infection and manage any discomfort that an ear infection might cause by taking a few steps. Here are a few of those steps:
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a while if you have significant or persistent pain. During this interim period, you can adopt other ways of communicating with your loved ones (like texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears dry and clean. Do not try to stick anything in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can push 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.
- 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 uncomfortable.
- 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 will be.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can reduce the risk of transferring bacteria or viruses to your ears. Ask us for assistance if you’re not certain how to properly clean and sanitize your hearing aids.
Hearing aids are likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you communicate with loved ones 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, taking a break from your hearing aids while you have an ear infection can help you recover from your sickness more quickly and more comfortably. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
Ear infections are fairly common. But you should still seek treatment if you detect symptoms. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.