Itchy Ears Caused By Hearing Aids

As you wear your new hearing aids for the first time, you may notice a few discomforts, especially that your body is still getting used to this new setup. One of the most common issues is itchiness caused by the device. But don’t worry, we’ve got some tips to help you relieve this discomfort. Read to the end of this article to find out the possible reasons and the best steps to be taken to alleviate the problem.

Dry ears

Our body produces natural substances to maintain moisture. It also acts as barrier of the ear canal to prevent dust and other foreign particles from entering our inner ears.  In cases of dry ears, our organs are not producing enough natural oil. This means excessive cleaning of the ears, particularly for earwax, can cause harm as well.

Tip: Try placing a few drops of olive oil every other day on the external part of your ear that is dry. This can keep your ears from becoming too dry.

Bad fit

Ideally, hearing aid fitting is done prior to official handing of the device to ensure utmost suitability with the wearer. Failure to do so may result to a bad hearing aid fit. Badly fitting devices can cause inflammation and itchy ears.

Tip: If this is your case, go to a trusted hearing aid clinic to have it adjusted. A hearing aid professional may suggest a change in your device’s ear mold.

Allergic reaction

Hearing aids are made out of different materials. Some patients seem to experience allergic reactions to the materials of their device. It may be the plastic that is wrapped on the device or the polish coating.

Tip: If this is your case, don’t hesitate to contact your hearing aid professional and bring up your concern. Your trusted specialist will be more than willing to assist you on solving this issue.

Skin problems

Further on allergic reaction, it can be that the discomfort is an underlying skin problem, such as eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis. If this is the case, it’s nothing that extends to a more serious extent other than the skin problem itself and isn’t caused by the hearing aid.

Trapped moisture

Did you know that sweat can cause itching? Exposure to the sun and being in humid areas can cause our body, including our ears, to perspire. Sweat can get into the intricate parts of your hearing aids, which may be causing the discomfort and damage the device internally.

Tip: Have your device cleaned every so often. As much as possible, keep your external ear free from sweat and avoid being exposed to humid areas

Excessive cleaning

Yes, there is such a thing as cleaning our ears too much. As mentioned, our ears produce natural oils. These oils serve as protection from irritants. The earwax is actually the ear’s self-cleaning agent. When one “over cleans”, you remove the oils and earwax, and deprive the ears from its natural cleaning abilities. Irritation usually arises from excessive use of cotton swabs and other external ear cleaning tools.

Tip: If you are the type of person who is used to cleaning your ears every day, give your ears a few days to recover by not “cleaning” them.

Were you able to pick-up something from this post? Aside from helping you alleviate your problems, we hope you could use these tips as well to prevent such issues from arising again. For trusted advice on hearing aid related concerns, call +603 7725 9334 or visit us at Lot 218 A, 2nd Floor. The Curve, 6, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.