You’ve got a lively summer planned. Some beach time and lots of swimming no doubt. You’ll do some day-to-day jogging and then maybe attend a baseball game or two before going home to up some delicious dinner. You’ll be busy! So it’s essential that your hearing aids are ready.
All of these experiences can introduce unique hazards for your hearing aids, but there are some easy ways you can protect these tiny, helpful devices and enjoy your summer as well.
Difficulties of hearing aids in the summer
Every season will present distinct challenges with regards to your hearing aids. In the summer, most of those challenges are weather and climate related.
Here are a few summer related obstacles:
- Dirt and debris: During the summer you’re very active. But sand inside of your hearing aid, like beach sand, can result in problems.
- 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.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from humidity, swimming, rain, or just sweat, moisture is nearly always present in the summer. That’s a problem because moisture can be a huge issue for hearing aids.
For the most part, it’s fairly obvious why these problems are more prevalent during the summer months: you tend to be outdoors more often. And you’re more likely to experience a sudden rain storm or a powerful wind when you’re outdoors so often.
How to keep your hearing aids in good working order all summer
Your hearing aids are designed to improve your quality of life, to allow you to do more. So over the course of the summer, most people want to wear their hearing aids as frequently as possible. Taking care of your hearing aids by taking some extra 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 sophisticated the electronics, the worse water becomes). There are a couple of ways you can protect against moisture:
- Keep a microfiber towel nearby. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. In this way, you can avoid the accumulation of wetness.
- When you’re performing an activity that will cause you to sweat, use a sweatband. Your hearing aids will stay nice and dry because sweat can’t get to them.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids while you sleep and allow them to air dry. This will help counter damage from corrosion of the battery.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Don’t swim with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Great! Don’t forget to take out your hearing aids before going into the water. Of course, the majority of individuals already do this. So lingering wetness in your ears after you get out of the water is the real concern. That’s why you should start thinking about using a swim cap and earplugs when you go swimming. This can help keep your ears (and thus your hearing aids) quite dry.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
Heat and moisture can both fuel the growth of bacteria. In the summer particularly, take steps to keep your hearing aids clean. You can do the following:
- Sanitize your hearing aids on a regular basis. This can be accomplished with specially produced antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
- Don’t let debris accumulate over time. As you’re sanitizing your hearing aids, you can also take the time to clean out any debris that may have built-up. Occasionally, a professional cleaning is necessary.
- Store your hearing aids in a place that’s dry and cool. That’s because hearing aids (generally) don’t do well with exposure to direct sunlight and heat. So don’t put them on your dashboard on the hottest day of summer. Instead, make certain they’re tucked away someplace dry and cool when you aren’t using them.
Be happy, remain active, hear well
Your hearing aids will help you for a lifetime and they will enhance your summer months especially. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking up a mountain, or taking a stroll around the neighborhood, there’s a way to ensure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.
