You’re planning a really active summer. Some beach time and lots of swimming no doubt. You’ll do some regular jogging and then maybe take in a ball game or two before heading home to up some delicious dinner. Your schedule will be pretty full. And you want to be sure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
All of these activities can introduce unique risks for your hearing aids, but there are some easy ways you can protect these tiny, helpful devices and enjoy your summer too.
Summer hearing aid obstacles
With hearing aids, each season will come with unique obstacles. Climate and weather are the biggest obstacles in the summer.
Here are a few summer related obstacles:
- Wind: Your hearing aids can be pushed and pulled around by the wind if it’s strong enough. Depending on the climate, strong winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from swimming, humidity, rain, or simply sweat, moisture is just about always present during the summer. That’s a problem because moisture can be a major problem for hearing aids.
- Dirt and debris: You’re active during the summer. But when you hit the beach, there’s a good possibility you may get some sand inside of your hearing aid, and that might cause issues.
Generally, it’s fairly obvious why these problems are more widespread in the summer months: you’re usually outside more often. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to encounter a strong gust of wind or a flash rainstorm.
Keeping your hearing aids at optimum performance through the summer
Your hearing aids are made to allow you to do more, to enhance your quality of life. Most people who wear hearing aids will want to use them as much as they can, especially during 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 state-of-the-art the electronics, the worse water becomes). There are a few ways you can protect against moisture:
- Use a sweatband when you’re exercising. Your hearing aids will stay nice and dry because sweat can’t reach them.
- Air dry your hearing aids while you sleep by opening the battery compartment. This will help counter damage caused by corrosion of the battery.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Drying your ears totally will help prevent the accidental transference of moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Have a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. In this way, you can prevent the accumulation of moisture.
- Don’t bring your hearing aids into the water. Going swimming? Great! Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before swimming. Of course, most individuals 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 when you’re swimming is a good plan. This can help keep your ears (and thus your hearing aids) nice and dry.
Regularly clean your hearing aids
The growth of bacteria is fueled by moisture and heat. So you should also do a few things to ensure your hearing aids are remaining clean during the summer months. You can do the following:
- Sanitize your hearing aids on a regular basis. This can be accomplished with specially made antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
- Store your hearing aids in a place that’s dry and cool. Hearing aids, generally speaking, don’t do well in the direct sunlight. So keep them off your dashboard on hot days. Alternatively, when you’re not wearing them, store your hearing aids in a dry, cool place.
- Don’t let debris build-up over time. You can take a few minutes to clear away any debris on your hearing aids while you sanitize them. Eventually, it’s probably also a good idea to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
Be happy, stay active, hear well
Your hearing aids are designed to accompany you throughout your life, and that’s certainly true of the summer months. So whether you’re planning on going for a swim in the lake, hiking over a mountain, or taking a stroll around the neighborhood, there’s a way to ensure your hearing aids stay dry and keep working.
