It may be a surprise to many people that approximately 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. Most individuals think of ear infections as a childhood illness, something that impacts primarily young kids. And it’s accurate that ear infections are more prevalent in children, but they also occur frequently in adults.
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. Hearing aids can also shelter germs that could lead to an ear infection if they are not properly cleaned and maintained.
So, you may be wondering: Can I wear hearing aids while I have an ear infection? Overall, the answer is yes, but you may not want to. Hearing aids could aggravate 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 may be wondering 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 needed to understand the whole story.
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, such as a cold or sinus infection, will lead to an infection of the inner ear. In other situations, fluid buildup might result in an infection. It’s also completely possible that a virus or bacteria directly infected the inner ear by physical transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to individuals who use hearing aids. Your hearing aid collects this bacteria or virus and then gets inserted directly into your ear. Correct 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.
Contact between hearing aids and ear infections
So, how do ear infections and hearing aids interact? To know what to expect, it’s helpful to look at the most prevalent symptoms of an ear infection. In general, ear infections will present with the following symptoms:
- Ear pain
- Vertigo or dizziness
- Fluid draining from the ear
- Inflammation and swelling
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- In some cases, temporary hearing loss
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
Needless to say, everybody will experience the symptoms in their own way. Usually, you will have obvious inflammation of the inner ear and ear pain in the infected ear. For individuals with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. That’s because your hearing aid will likely (at least in part) sit within the ear canal. Your hearing aids could cause added discomfort as they irritate the tender inflamed infected ear.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. 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.
This added moisture can also impair the operation of your hearing aid. 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 bothering you while you have an ear infection? You can reduce your risk of developing an ear infection and manage any discomfort that an ear infection might cause by taking a few steps. Those steps include the following:
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t recede, think about talking to us to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
- 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 happens less frequently.) If you don’t know how to clean and disinfect hearing aids, talk to us for a quick tutorial.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: You should speak with your doctor sooner than later if you think you may be developing an ear infection. The sooner you treat the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms will be.
- 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 are feeling better. You can use alternative methods of communication with family and friends, like texting, in the meantime.
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means routinely cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears clean and dry. However, you should never stick any object in your ear and that includes cotton swabs. With a cotton swabs, your chance of developing an ear infection increases because you could push earwax and debris further up into your ear canal. This is the opposite of what you’re likely attempting to accomplish.
You most likely 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 difficult 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 recuperate from your illness more quickly and more comfortably. This will help you get back to feeling better quicker.
Ear infections are relatively common. But you should still get treatment if you notice symptoms. Contact us if you’re wondering how your hearing aid use will be affected by an ear infection.