You have an active summer planned. Some beach time and lots of swimming for sure. You’ll enjoy some live entertainment, you’ll get plenty of exercise jogging or perhaps playing some tennis, then it’s time to get to the grill. You’ll be busy! So it’s crucial that your hearing aids are prepared.
All of these activities can present unique risks for your hearing aids, but there are a few easy ways you can protect these tiny, helpful devices and enjoy your summer as well.
Summertime hearing aid obstacles
Every season is going to introduce unique challenges when it comes to your hearing aids. Climate and weather are the greatest obstacles during the summer.
Here are a few summer related challenges:
- Wind: Your hearing aids can be pushed and pulled around by the wind if it’s powerful enough. And if you’re in an extremely dry climate, wind can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aids.
- Moisture: In the summer, moisture is almost always a factor, whether from rain, sweat, swimming, or humidity. Moisture can be harmful to hearing aids so that can present a problem.
- Dirt and debris: You’re active during the summer. But sand inside of your hearing aid, such as beach sand, can cause issues.
Part of the reason why these problems are more common in the summer is self-evident: you spend more time outside. And you’re more likely to experience a sudden 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 designed to enhance your quality of life, to allow you to do more. The majority of people who wear hearing aids will want to use them as much as possible, particularly during the summer. This means doing a few extra things to take care of the technology and ensure your hearing aids keep working.
Keeping 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:
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Don’t swim while wearing your hearing aids. Going swimming? Sweet! Just take out your hearing aids first. Obviously, this is common sense. 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 good plan. This can help keep your ears (and thus your hearing aids) nice and dry.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids at night and allow them to air dry. This will help keep the battery from corroding and will prevent damage.
- Keep a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. This stops moisture from accumulating when you aren’t watching.
- Wear a headband when you’re exercising. Your hearing aids will stay quite dry because moisture can’t reach them.
Take steps to keep your hearing aids clean
The growth of bacteria is quickened by moisture and heat. So you should also take a few steps to make sure your hearing aids are staying clean over the summer months. Here are some guidelines:
- Watch out for the long-term build-up of debris. As you’re sanitizing your hearing aids, you can also take the time to clear away any debris that may have built-up. Sometimes, a professional cleaning is necessary.
- Routinely disinfect your hearing aids. Specialized antibacterial wipes are available for this.
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s dry and cool. Hearing aids, as a rule, don’t handle direct sunlight very well. So don’t put them on your dashboard on the hottest day of summer. Instead, make sure they’re tucked away someplace dry and cool when you aren’t using them.
Stay active, remain happy, keep hearing
Your hearing aids will help you for a lifetime and they will enhance your summer months especially. You can keep your hearing aids dry and in good working order whether you’re hiking, swimming, or simply taking an evening stroll around your neighborhood.