Hearing Aids & Ear Infections

I’ve had a few patients ask me, “Can hearing aids cause ear infections?”

While hearing aids do not directly lead to ear infections, improper cleaning can cause issues down the line with trapped moisture within the ear, which can then cause infections.

You can easily avoid ear infections and complications from your hearing aids by keeping your devices clean and clear; with the help of a professional clean and check, you can rest assured that ear infections won’t be an issue.

Three Types of Ear Infections

Otitis Externa, also known as “swimmer’s ear,” is an infection of the outer ear canal, the tube between the outer ear and the eardrum. These infections are typically caused by trapped moisture in the ear creating an environment where bacteria or fungi can grow in the ear canal.

Hearing aids, when not cleaned properly, can cause that kind of conducive environment for bacteria to grow; with proper cleaning, you can easily avoid outer ear infections from your devices. Antibiotics or eardrops are typically used to treat outer ear infections.

Otitis Media, or a middle ear infection, concerns the air-filled space behind the eardrum where the hammer, anvil, and stirrup reside, which are the tiny bones that transmit sound.

Middle ear infections are typically caused by bacteria or viruses in the middle ear, often due to colds, sore throats, or respiratory infections. The Eustachian tube can get blocked, which traps fluid and allows bacteria and viruses to populate.

You can treat a middle ear infection with pain medications to alleviate earache and antibiotics from a doctor to address the virus. For more acute otitis media, ear tubes can also be placed in the ear to ventilate it and help drain fluid.

Otitis Interna, or labyrinthitis, is an inner ear infection, where the part of your inner ear responsible for balance and hearing (the labyrinth) becomes inflamed or infected as a result of viral infections like the flu or the common cold.

Inner ear infections can lead to issues with balance, dizziness, and hearing loss.

Otitis interna is typically addressed with medicine to tackle the symptoms of the viral infection that caused the ear infection in the first place. Antihistamines and balance testing can be recommended for issues with dizziness.

Give Your Hearing Aids Some TLC With Alaska Hearing & Tinnitus Center

If you’d like a more in-depth look at your hearing aids, we can offer a performance revamp to help enhance their capabilities and make sure they’re still performing as you need them to.

For other challenges with your hearing aids, we can have a look and repair what’s going on, whether there’s muffled sound, no sound at all, or a fit that isn’t quite right anymore.