You’re planning a very active summer. Plenty of beach time and lots of swimming no doubt. You’ll do some regular jogging and then maybe take in a baseball game or two before heading home to up some tasty dinner. You’re going to be busy! And you want to ensure your hearing aids are up to the task.
All of these activities can introduce unique challenges for your hearing aids, but there are some easy ways you can safeguard these tiny, helpful devices and enjoy your summer too.
Difficulties of hearing aids during the summer
Each season is going to introduce distinct challenges when it comes to your hearing aids. Climate and weather are the biggest obstacles in the summer.
Summer-related obstacles might include:
- Wind: Your hearing aids can be pushed and pulled around by the wind if it’s powerful enough. Depending on the climate, powerful winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
- Debris, sand and dirt: In the summer you’re actually active. But when you go to the beach, there’s a good chance you may get some sand inside of your hearing aid, and that could cause issues.
- Moisture: In the summer, moisture is nearly always a factor, whether from rain, sweat, swimming, or humidity. Moisture can be harmful to hearing aids so that can present a problem.
Part of the reason why these problems are more likely to crop up during the summer is clear: you’re usually outdoors more. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to encounter a strong gust of wind or a sudden 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. The majority of individuals who wear hearing aids will want to use them as much as possible, particularly during the summer. Taking care of your hearing aids by taking a few additional steps can make that happen.
Take actions to keep your hearing aids dry
We’ve established that moisture is the adversary of a well-functioning hearing aid (the more sophisticated the electronics, the worse water becomes). There are several ways you can protect against moisture:
- When you’re performing an activity that will cause you to sweat, use a sweatband. This will help keep sweat out of your ears (and far from your hearing aids).
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Don’t bring your hearing aids into the water. Going swimming? Great! Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before swimming. Naturally, the majority of individuals already do this. So residual wetness in your ears after you get out of the water is the real concern. Wearing a swim cap or earplugs when you’re swimming is a good plan. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will stay quite dry.
- Have a microfiber towel nearby. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. In this way, you can avoid the accumulation of wetness.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids at night and allow them to air dry. This will help stop the battery from corroding and will decrease damage.
Take steps to keep your hearing aids clean
Heat and moisture can both fuel the growth of bacteria. During the summer particularly, take steps to keep your hearing aids clean. Here are some guidelines:
- Store your hearing aids in a dry, cool spot. Hearing aids, generally speaking, don’t handle direct sunlight very well. So keep them off of your dashboard on hot days. Instead, make certain they’re nestled away someplace dry and cool when you’re not wearing them.
- Don’t let debris build-up over time. You can take a little time to get rid of any debris on your hearing aids while you sanitize them. Sooner or later, it’s probably also a good plan to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
- Routinely sanitize your hearing aids. This can be accomplished with specially produced antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
Stay active, remain happy, keep hearing
Your hearing aids are made to help you all through your life, and that’s definitely true of the summer months. So whether you’re planning on going for a swim in the lake, hiking over 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.