You have an active summer planned. You’re certainly going to hit the beach and maybe take a swim. You’ll enjoy some live entertainment, you’ll get plenty of exercise jogging or possibly playing some tennis, then it’s time to get to the grill. Your schedule is going to be rather full. And you want to make sure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
All of these activities can introduce unique hazards for your hearing aids, but there are a few easy ways you can safeguard these little, helpful devices and enjoy your summer too.
Summertime hearing aid challenges
Every season will introduce distinct obstacles when it comes to your hearing aids. In the summer, many of those challenges are weather and climate related.
Here are some summer related obstacles:
- Moisture: Whether it’s from humidity, swimming, rain, or just sweat, moisture is just about always present during the summer. Moisture can be harmful to hearing aids so that can present a challenge.
- Debris, sand and dirt: In the summer you’re actually active. But sand inside of your hearing aid, such as beach sand, can cause issues.
- Wind: A strong enough wind can jerk and yank at your hearing aids. And if you’re in an especially dry environment, wind can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aids.
Generally, it’s quite apparent why these issues are more common in the summer months: you tend to be outside more often. And you’re more likely to encounter a surprise rain storm or a powerful wind when you’re outside so often.
Keeping your hearing aids at optimum performance through the summer
Your hearing aids are made to improve your quality of life, to make it possible for you to do more. So throughout the summer, most people want to wear their hearing aids as frequently as they can. This means taking a few extra steps to take care of the technology and ensure your hearing aids continue working.
Keeping your hearing aids dry
We’ve established that moisture is the enemy of a well-functioning hearing aid (the more sophisticated the electronics, the worse water becomes). Keep moisture at bay with these tips:
- Have a microfiber towel nearby. You can use this to routinely dry your hearing aids. In this way, you can prevent the build-up of moisture.
- Don’t go swimming with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Nice! Just take out your hearing aids first. Naturally, most individuals already do this. So the real risk is the moisture in your ears that lingers after you go swimming. That’s why you should consider wearing a swim cap and earplugs when you go swimming. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will stay nice and dry.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Air dry your hearing aids at night by opening the battery compartment. This will help keep the battery from corroding and will prevent damage.
- Wear a headband when you’re working out. Your hearing aids will stay nice and dry because sweat can’t reach them.
Regularly clean your hearing aids
Moisture and heat can both hasten the growth of bacteria. So you should also take a few steps to make sure your hearing aids are remaining clean over the summer months. You can do the following:
- Store your hearing aids in a cool and dry place. That’s because hearing aids (as a general rule) don’t do well with exposure to heat and direct sunlight. So don’t store them on your dashboard on the hottest day of summer. Alternatively, when you’re not wearing them, store your hearing aids in a dry, cool place.
- Watch for the long-term accumulation of debris. You can take a little time to remove any debris on your hearing aids while you disinfect them. Eventually, it’s probably also a good idea to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
- Sanitize your hearing aids on a regular basis. Specialized antibacterial wipes are made for this.
Be happy, remain active, hear well
Your hearing aids will be there for you for a lifetime and they will enhance your summer months especially. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking over a mountain, or taking a walk around the neighborhood, there’s a way to be sure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.