It may be a surprise to many that roughly 20% of all ear infections occur in adults. In part, that’s because most people think of ear infections as a childhood illness–something that impacts primarily young kids. And it’s true that ear infections are more common in children–but they also occur frequently in adults.
For adults with hearing impairments or hearing loss, ear infections can be particularly inconvenient, as they can interact with hearing aids in some uncomfortable ways. Additionally, when hearing aids are not properly maintained, they can become a vector 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 may not want to. Ear infections can cause significant inflammation and discomfort in the ear, and your hearing aids may exacerbate 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 begin 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 more nuance is needed to understand the whole story.
The vast majority of all ear infections are caused by viruses or bacteria that then infect the inner ear. There are a wide variety of vectors that can lead to infection. In some cases, the inner ear becomes infected after a previous illness (for example, a sinus infection or a cold). In other cases, fluid buildup may lead to an infection. And it’s also certainly possible for viruses and bacteria to infect the inner ear via simple transmission.
This can happen with some frequency to people who wear hearing aids. The virus or bacteria hitches a ride on your hearing device and, upon insertion, gains access to the inner ear. That’s why it is critical for those with hearing impairments 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 device may play a role in 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:
- Pain in the ear
- Drainage of fluid from the ear
- Tinnitus (a ringing in the ears)
- In some cases, temporary hearing loss
- A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ears
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Inflammation and swelling
Not everyone will experience every symptom, of course. In most cases, your infected ear will hurt and there will likely be noticeable swelling around the inner ear. For those with hearing loss, these symptoms can interact unfavorably with your hearing aids. 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 may cause additional discomfort.
Additionally, any in-the-canal hearing aid can prevent drainage. When fluids cannot drain, your discomfort may become prolonged. This will also increase the pressure (and pain) you feel in your ears. (When wearing your hearing aid pressure can be even more uncomfortable.)
This added moisture can also impair the operation of your hearing aid. So your ears are in more pain and your hearing aid doesn’t really work as well as it should. Which means that wearing hearing aids when you have an ear infection can be a downright miserable time.
Ear infection & hearing aid solutions
You may now be thinking: my hearing aids bother me when I have an ear infection… but what can I do? There are several steps you can take to lower your risk of developing ear infections and to address discomfort that an ear infection may cause. Those steps include the following:
- Practice good ear hygiene: This means regularly cleaning your outer ear and, generally, keeping your ears clean and dry. 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 chance of developing an infection. (This is the opposite of what you’re likely trying to accomplish.)
- 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 your hearing specialist for a quick tutorial.
- Take breaks from wearing your hearing aids: If the pain is persistent or severe, it’s okay to take a break from wearing your hearing aid until your ears are feeling better. During this interim period, you can pursue other means of communicating with your loved ones (such as texting or writing messages on a piece of paper, and so on).
- Talk to your hearing specialist: If your ears begin to feel better, but the discomfort from your hearing aids doesn’t go away, consider talking to your hearing specialist to see if you can get a better fit on your devices.
- Talk to your healthcare provider: If you think that you have an ear infection, talk to your doctor as soon as you can. The sooner you treat the ear infection, the less severe or prolonged your symptoms may be.
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 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 recover from your illness more quickly and more comfortably. That means you can get back to enjoying what you hear faster.
Ear infections are relatively common. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out treatment or try to prevent them. If you have questions about how ear infections may impact your hearing aid use, talk to your hearing specialist today.