It may be a surprise to many that roughly 20% of all ear infections happen to adults. The common idea is that ear infections are something that usually affect children. Ear infections are certainly more prevalent in kids but adults do get them too.
Ear infections can be especially uncomfortable for people 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, you may be wondering: Can I wear hearing aids while I have an ear infection? You can, but it may not be something you want to do. 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?
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? The technical answer is no. But more detail 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 wide variety of vectors that can result in infection. Sometimes, a previous illness, such as a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. An infection might be caused by fluid buildup in other situations. It’s also completely possible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
This can occur with some frequency to people who use hearing aids. Your hearing aid accumulates this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. Proper hearing aid cleaning and maintenance is essential for this reason. In other words, the hearing aid itself doesn’t cause the ear infection, the virus or bacteria does. But your hearing aid is involved in this transmission.
Interactions between hearing aids and ear infections
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? To understand what to expect, it’s useful to look at the most common symptoms of an ear infection. In general, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Inflammation and swelling
- In some situations, temporary hearing loss
- Ear pain
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Not everyone will suffer from every symptom, of course. Usually, you will have noticeable inflammation of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. These symptoms can have a negative interaction with hearing aids for people with hearing loss. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least partially) reside within the ear canal. Because the ear canal is inflamed and tender, your hearing aids could cause extra discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. When fluids can’t drain, your discomfort might 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.
This added moisture can also impair the operation of your hearing aid. So your hearing aids aren’t functioning at peak performance and your ears are in pain. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
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? 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:
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should talk to your doctor sooner than later if you believe you might be developing an ear infection. Treating a hearing aid as soon as possible will reduce the chance of it becoming severe or prolonged.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: You can take a break from your hearing aids for a few days if you have significant or lasting pain. You can use alternative methods of communication with friends and family, like texting, in the meantime.
- Regularly clean your hearing aids: Keeping your device clean can reduce the risk of transferring 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 clears but your hearing aid is still not comfortable.
- Practice good ear hygiene: It’s essential to keep your ears dry and clean and regularly clean your outer ear. Do not try to stick any object in your ear, however, including cotton swabs. Using cotton swabs can push earwax and other debris further into your ear, increasing your chance of developing an infection. You’re attempting to accomplish the exact opposite.
Hearing aids are likely an essential part of your everyday life. They help you communicate with loved ones and move around the world more easily. That makes it really hard to give up your hearing aid even for short periods. However, you will have a quicker 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. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be impacted by an ear infection.