Otitis media is a common ear disease usually caused by bacterial or viral infection. May cause ear pain, fever, hearing loss, and possible otorrhea.
Optional hearing aids are currently a way to deal with hearing loss caused by chronic otitis media. Otitis media patients undergo professional fitting and choose hearing aids that suit them. Wearing them during the resting period of otitis media can achieve the ideal hearing aid effect.
However, because patients with otitis media often have symptoms such as pus and water in the ear canal, you should pay attention to the following three points when choosing a hearing aid:
1. Try to choose an open behind-the-ear device
Behind-the-ear machines sit outside the ear and do not insert directly into the ear canal, thus avoiding direct contact with infected or inflamed ear canals. This helps reduce interference in areas that people with otitis media may be sensitive to.
Moreover, behind-the-ear hearing aids are more likely to be protected from the effects of humid environments than in-canal hearing aids. Otitis media may cause moisture in the ear canal, and choosing a behind-the-ear machine can help reduce the impact of humidity on the hearing aid and maintain the normal operation of the hearing aid.
In addition, the design of behind-the-ear machines is usually more focused on comfort and stability, which may be more popular for patients with otitis media. Insert hearing aids can cause discomfort in sensitive ear areas, while behind-the-ear devices provide a more relaxed fit.
2. No more inflammation, pus and other symptoms
Hearing aids need to be inserted or attached close to the ear, which can cause additional irritation and pressure on already damaged middle ear tissue in people with otitis media. This can lead to increased inflammation and longer recovery times.
Therefore, during the active stage of otitis media, the ears will have pus discharge, inflammation, etc. At this time, active treatment should be carried out first, and hearing aids should not be used to avoid aggravating inflammation or causing secretions to damage the hearing aid. Wait until the condition improves and there is no longer inflammation in the ear canal before resuming the use of hearing aids. In addition, patients should pay more attention to the recurrence of otitis media when they are tired or have a cold.
3. Pay attention to cleaning and maintenance
Hearing aids are precision electronic instruments. Users with otitis media have more secretions in their ears, which can easily clog the hearing aid and cause hearing aid failure. For daily use of hearing aids, use medical cotton swabs to clean the ear canal before and after each wearing to keep the ears clean and the ear canal dry. In addition, pay attention to the cleaning and maintenance of the hearing aid. For example:
- Clean earplugs or ear molds regularly and keep them clean;
- Every 1-2 hours of wearing, take off the hearing aid for 5-10 minutes to ventilate the ear canal to the outside world and keep it clean and dry;
- If the baffle is clogged, replace it with a new one as much as possible, or remove it and clean it before reinstalling it to prevent dirt from being pushed into the receiver;
- Use an electronic drying box to dry the hearing aid for 3-6 hours every day, and perform deep negative pressure dehumidification and drying maintenance regularly to reduce the failure rate of the hearing aid.