You have an active summer planned. Plenty of beach time and lots of swimming no doubt. You’ll do some regular jogging and then maybe take in a ball game or two before going home to up some tasty dinner. Your schedule will be pretty full. So it’s crucial that your hearing aids are prepared.
Summer activities like these can be difficult on your hearing aids, but these little helpful devices can be protected without it halting your summer fun.
Summertime hearing aid obstacles
With hearing aids, each season will have unique difficulties. Climate and weather are the greatest obstacles in the summer.
Summer-related obstacles could include:
- Dirt and debris: You’re active during the summer. But when you hit the beach, there’s a good possibility you may get some sand inside of your hearing aid, and that might cause problems.
- Wind: A powerful enough wind can tug and pull at your hearing aids. Depending on the climate, strong winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
- Moisture: During 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.
For the most part, it’s fairly obvious why these issues are more prevalent in the summer months: you spend more time outside. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to encounter a powerful gust of wind or a flash rainstorm.
Keeping your hearing aids at peak 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 they can, particularly during the summer. Caring for your hearing aids by taking some additional steps can make that happen.
Take steps 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 is). There are a couple of ways you can keep moisture at bay:
- Don’t go swimming with your hearing aids in your ears. Going swimming? Nice! Don’t forget to take out your hearing aids before swimming. Obviously, this is common sense. So residual moisture in your ears after you get out of the water is the real issue. That’s why you should start thinking about using a swim cap and earplugs when you go in the water. This can help keep your ears (and thus your hearing aids) nice and dry.
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- When you’re doing something that will cause you to sweat, use a sweatband. This will help keep sweat out of your ears (and away from your hearing aids).
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids while you sleep and let them air dry. This will help counter damage caused by corrosion of the battery.
- Have a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. In this way, you can prevent the build-up of moisture.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
Moisture and heat can both fuel the growth of bacteria. So you should also do a few things to ensure your hearing aids are staying clean during the summer months. Here are some tips:
- Routinely sanitize your hearing aids. This can be done with specially produced antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
- Don’t let debris accumulate over time. You can take a few minutes to remove any debris on your hearing aids while you sanitize them. Sometimes, a professional cleaning is necessary.
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s cool and dry. That’s because hearing aids (as a general rule) don’t do well with exposure to direct sunlight and heat. So don’t put them on your dashboard on a hot summer day. Alternatively, when you’re not wearing them, store your hearing aids in a dry, cool spot.
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 season. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking up a mountain, or going for a walk around the neighborhood, there’s a way to ensure your hearing aids stay dry and keep working.
