You’ve got a lively summer planned. Plenty of beach time and lots of swimming for sure. You’ll do some day-to-day jogging and then maybe attend a ball game or two before going home to up some delicious dinner. You’re going to be busy! And you want to ensure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
Summer activities such as these can be hard on your hearing aids, but these little helpful devices can be protected without it slowing your summer fun.
Challenges of hearing aids in the summer
Every season will present distinct challenges when it comes to your hearing aids. During the summer, most of those tests are weather and climate related.
Here are some summer related obstacles:
- Moisture: Whether it’s from humidity, swimming, rain, or just sweat, moisture is nearly always present during the summer. That’s a problem because moisture can be a huge issue for hearing aids.
- Debris, sand and dirt: You’re active in the summer. But sand inside of your hearing aid, like beach sand, can cause issues.
- Wind: A strong enough wind can jerk and yank at your hearing aids. Depending on the climate, powerful winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
Generally, it’s pretty apparent why these problems are more prevalent in the summer months: you’re usually outdoors more often. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to experience a strong gust of wind or a sudden rainstorm.
Keeping your hearing aids at optimum performance through the summer
Your hearing aids are designed to improve your quality of life, to allow you to do more. Most individuals who use hearing aids will want to use them as much as they can, especially during the summer. This means taking a few extra steps to take care of the technology and make sure your hearing aids keep working.
Take actions to keep your hearing aids dry
We’ve established that moisture is the enemy of a well-functioning hearing aid (the more state-of-the-art the electronics, the worse water becomes). Keep moisture at bay with these tips:
- Don’t swim with your hearing aids in your ears. Going swimming? Sweet! Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before going into the water. Of course, most individuals already do this. So residual wetness in your ears after you get out of the water is the real issue. 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 remain quite dry.
- Use a sweatband when you’re working out. Your hearing aids will stay nice and dry because sweat can’t reach them.
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Keep 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.
- Air dry your hearing aids at night by opening the battery door. This will help prevent damage from corrosion of the battery.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
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. Here are some guidelines:
- Routinely disinfect your hearing aids. Specialized antibacterial wipes are available for this.
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s dry and cool. That’s because hearing aids (generally) don’t do well with exposure to heat and direct sunlight. So don’t put them on your dashboard on the hottest day of summer. Alternatively, when you’re not wearing them, keep your hearing aids in a cool, dry spot.
- Watch out for the long-term accumulation of debris. As you’re disinfecting your hearing aids, you can also take the time to clear away any debris that may have built-up. Sometimes, a professional cleaning is needed.
Be happy, remain active, hear well
Your hearing aids will be there for you for a lifetime and they will improve your summer months especially. You can keep your hearing aids dry and in good working order whether you’re hiking, swimming, or just taking an evening stroll around your neighborhood.