You’re planning a very active summer. Plenty of beach time and lots of swimming no doubt. You’ll take in some live entertainment, you’ll get plenty of exercise jogging or possibly playing some tennis, then it’s time to hit the grill. You’ll be busy! So it’s crucial that your hearing aids are prepared.
Summer activities such as these can be tough on your hearing aids, but these little helpful devices can be safeguarded without it halting your summer fun.
Obstacles of hearing aids in the summer
With hearing aids, each season will have unique obstacles. In the summer, most of those challenges are weather and climate related.
Here are some summer related challenges:
- Moisture: During the summer, moisture is almost always present, whether from rain, sweat, swimming, or humidity. Moisture can be harmful to hearing aids so that can present a challenge.
- Debris, sand and dirt: In the summer you’re very active. But when you go to the beach, there’s a good possibility you might get some sand inside of your hearing aid, and that might cause problems.
- Wind: Your hearing aids can be pushed and pulled around by the wind if it’s powerful enough. Depending on the environment, powerful winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
Generally, it’s fairly obvious why these problems are more widespread during the summer months: you’re usually outdoors more. And you’re more likely to experience a surprise rain storm or a strong wind when you’re outside so often.
How to keep your hearing aids in good working order all summer
Your hearing aids are manufactured to allow you to do more, to enhance your quality of life. Most people who use hearing aids will want to use them as much as they can, particularly through the summer. This means taking a few extra steps to care for 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 advanced the electronics, the worse water becomes). There are a few ways you can keep moisture at bay:
- Have a microfiber towel nearby. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. This stops wetness from building up when you aren’t paying attention.
- Use a sweatband when you’re exercising. Your hearing aids will stay quite dry because sweat can’t reach them.
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Drying your ears totally will help prevent the unintentional transference of moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Don’t go swimming with your hearing aids in your ears. Going swimming? Nice! Just take out your hearing aids first. Obviously, the majority of individuals already do this. So lingering wetness in your ears after you get out of the water is the real issue. That’s why you should start thinking about wearing a swim cap and earplugs when you go in the water. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain nice and dry.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids at night and let them air dry. This will help prevent damage from corrosion of the battery.
Take steps to keep your hearing aids clean
The growth of bacteria is quickened by moisture and heat. So you should also do a few things to ensure your hearing aids are staying clean over the summer months. Here are some tips:
- 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 might have accumulated. Sooner or later, it’s most likely also a good idea to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
- Sanitize your hearing aids regularly. Specialized antibacterial wipes are available for this.
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s cool and dry. That’s because hearing aids (as a general rule) don’t like exposure to heat and direct sunlight. So don’t store them on your dashboard on the hottest day of summer. Alternatively, make sure they’re nestled away somewhere 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 improve your summer months especially. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking over a mountain, or taking a stroll around the neighborhood, there’s a way to ensure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.