While hearing aids and ear infections do not go hand in hand, it’s important to know that without proper care for your devices, earwax buildup, moisture, or dirt can irritate and infect your delicate ears.
With regular ear and hearing aid cleanings, you can keep your devices in top shape and avoid ear infections simultaneously.
What Kinds of Ear Infections Are There?
The kind of ear infection you’re dealing with can be narrowed down to which part of your ear is infected: the outer, the middle, or the inner ear.
Otitis Externa
Otitis Externa, or an outer ear infection, affects the outer ear canal (the tube between the outer ear and the eardrum that we often clean earwax out of). This kind of infection is commonly known as “swimmer’s ear.”
Swimmer’s ear is caused by trapped moisture in the ear, which creates an environment where bacteria or fungi can grow. The best way to avoid swimmer’s ear is with custom-molded hearing protection for swimming, which protects your ears from water buildup.
Otitis Media
Otitis Media is an infection of the middle ear, or the air-filled vacuum behind the eardrum that contains the intricate and tiny bones for conducting sound. Middle ear infections are typically due to virus complications, like colds or sore throats.
When you get sick with any sort of respiratory infection, the Eustachian tube inside your ear can get blocked with fluid, which helps bacteria or viruses thrive.
Otitis Interna
Otitis Interna, known more as an inner ear infection or labyrinthitis, affects the inner ear, which helps your hearing and your balance. The common cold or flu can cause inner ear infections, but bacterial infections in the inner ear are rare.
Inner ear infections can lead to hearing loss challenges, balance issues, and dizziness as a result of inflammation in your inner ear.
How To Avoid Ear Infections With Hearing Aids
Unclean hearing aids can lead to ear infections, but with a good cleaning, you can avoid worrying about your devices doing undue damage. Keep your hearing aids dry and away from excess moisture, and give them a wipe with a microfibre cloth after you take them out for the night.
For more information about hearing aid maintenance or to chat with a member of our team, please feel free to request a callback and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as we can.
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