Itchy Ears Wearing Hearing Aids

Why are my hearing aids making my ears itch? 

If you are a new hearing aid user having something foreign within your ear will take some getting used to. According to a 1991 study, up to 39% of hearing aid users experience itching as a side effect of their hearing aids.

Prior to having hearing aids, nothing else really went and stayed in your ears for lengths of time. The itching sensation typically reduces over time as the user gets used to the dome or earmould of the hearing aid within their ears.

The skin within the ear canal is very delicate. A stray hair or a stray granule of wax rolling around within the ear canal may cause itching. 

Most domes with the top hearing aid manufacturers are made with medical grade hypoallergenic silicone. So an allergic reaction is less likely to happen. Earmoulds are also often made with hypoallergenic materials.

How to reduce itching with hearing aids in the ears. 

Use a lubricant like olive oil ear drops to lubricate any loose dry skin or wax moving around. The oil is likely to "bind" the wax/stray hair in place and stop it moving around so freely whilst also allowing the ear canal itself to gradually push it outwards. (As long as we don't go back into our ears with a cotton bud!).

Check the ingredients within your cleaning wipes or hearing aid cleaning solution. Some cleaning solutions or wipes may have ingredients that are particularly irritating to your ears. 

With open fit hearing aids  Too loose domes are more likely to cause itching than a well fitting dome. As the the loose dome would have space to move around in the ear canal therefore causing itching. At Sonant Hearing, we will see you over multiple appointments after you have had your hearing aids to make sure that they are comfortable.

The length of the open tube or receiver length needs to be checked. As a too short tube could be pulling on the skin of the ear. A too long tube might be allowing the hearing aid to hang too loose over the ear. Consider the dome shape as well. Would a closed dome cause less irritation than a vented dome? Sometime the reciever sizes vary with power receivers having more bulk than medium receivers. As long as the receiver covers the audiogram range of loss, a medium receiver could sit differently within the canal and cause less irritation. If all these open fit measures fail to alleviate the itching then a custom made ear mould may need to be considered.

With ear moulds, itching could occur due to an allergy of the earmould or a poor fit. There could be wax buildup within the ear canal or residual debris from a previous or current infection ( both awaiting clearance via micro-suction or irrigation).

If there is moisture within the canal, or tubing, the mould may need to have a larger ventilation hole (severity of audiogram loss permitting). Moisture within the ear mould and ear canal wall could lead to itching, especially due to extra moisture and body temperature warmth encouraging the growth of bacteria and fungus in the the ear. The latter serves as another reason to keep the ear dome or mould clean with a non-irritating cleaner and dry properly every night. 

If there is a bump or area on the ear mould causing irritation, it may need to be re-sent to the manufacturer for a re-make. The re-make could be bigger or smaller. If problems persist then the new impression may require a different technique to make the ear-mould. (closed jaw vs open jaw) 

Allergies, Very rarely there might be dematitis or allergy on contact with an ear mould. With this case it maybe worthwhile having the audiologist speak to the manufacturer about considering a different type of material entirely to re-make the mould. Gold or titanium plated ear moulds could be a possibility.

Other skin related conditions

Dry skin as a result of pre-existing eczema, psoraisis or similar can cause itching and the skin is already easily irritated with or without hearing aids. Safe lubricants (vetted by your GP ) can be used with particular care taken not to block the sound outlet of the RIC aids or custom ear mould. It would also be advisable to seek medical advice from the GP, ENT or dermatologist if the skin irritation can't be alleviated despite all the best measures taken.

Always discuss with your audiologist if your ears are itchy with heairng aids in. At sonant hearing clinic we will take great measures to try and find the most comfortable solution for you and ideally one that would may not cause your ears to itch with hearing aids in.

Reference

Itching in the external ear--a side effect of ear plugs. Madsen EF, Larsen J, Flink PO. Ugeskr Laeger, 1991 Jul 22, Vol. 153. 2125-8