You have a lively summer planned. Some beach time and lots of swimming for sure. You’ll do some day-to-day running and then maybe attend a ball game or two before heading home to up some delicious dinner. You’ll be busy! So it’s important that your hearing aids are ready.
All of these activities can introduce unique hazards for your hearing aids, but there are a few easy ways you can protect these tiny, helpful devices and enjoy your summer at the same time.
Summer hearing aid obstacles
Every season will introduce unique difficulties with regards to your hearing aids. Climate and weather are the leading obstacles during the summer.
Here are a few summer related challenges:
- Moisture: During the summer, moisture is nearly always present, whether from rain, sweat, swimming, or humidity. That’s problematic because moisture can be a major issue for hearing aids.
- Debris, sand and dirt: You’re active during the summer. But sand in your hearing aid, such as beach sand, can lead to issues.
- Wind: A strong enough wind can jerk and yank at your hearing aids. Depending on the environment, powerful winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
Part of the reason why these issues are more common during the summer is clear: you’re usually outdoors more. And you’re more likely to encounter a surprise rain storm or a strong wind when you’re outside so often.
Keeping your hearing aids at optimum performance through the summer
Your hearing aids are manufactured to allow you to do more, to enhance your quality of life. Most people who use hearing aids will want to use them as much as they can, especially through the summer. Taking care of your hearing aids by taking some additional steps can make that happen.
Keeping your hearing aids dry
We’ve established that moisture is the adversary of a well-functioning hearing aid (the more advanced the electronics, the worse water is). Protect against moisture with these tips:
- Don’t go swimming with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Great! Just remove your hearing aids first. Naturally, most people already do this. So residual wetness in your ears after you get out of the water is the real issue. Wearing a swim cap or earplugs while swimming is a smart idea. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain nice and dry.
- When you’re performing an activity that will cause you to sweat, wear a sweatband. Your hearing aids will stay quite dry because sweat can’t reach them.
- Have a microfiber towel nearby. You can use this to routinely dry your hearing aids. In this way, you can avoid the accumulation of wetness.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Drying your ears completely will help prevent the accidental transfer of moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids at night and allow them to air dry. This will help counter damage from corrosion of the battery.
Regularly clean your hearing aids
Heat and moisture can both hasten the growth of bacteria. During the summer especially, take measures to keep your hearing aids clean. Here are some tips:
- Store your hearing aids in a dry, cool place. That’s because hearing aids (as a general rule) don’t like exposure to direct sunlight and heat. So keep them off of your dashboard on hot days. Alternatively, when you’re not using them, store your hearing aids in a dry, cool spot.
- Disinfect your hearing aids on a regular basis. This can be done with specially made antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
- Don’t let debris build-up over time. You can take a few minutes to get rid of any debris on your hearing aids while you disinfect them. Sooner or later, it’s most likely also a good idea to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
Be happy, stay active, hear well
Your hearing aids are designed to help you all through your life, and that’s definitely true of the summer season. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking up a mountain, or going for a walk around the neighborhood, there’s a way to be sure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.