You’re planning a very active summer. You’re certainly going to hit the beach and maybe take a swim. You’ll do some day-to-day jogging and then maybe attend a ball game or two before heading home to up some tasty dinner. Your schedule will be rather full. And you want to make sure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
All of these experiences can introduce unique challenges for your hearing aids, but there are a few easy ways you can protect these tiny, helpful devices and enjoy your summer at the same time.
Summertime hearing aid obstacles
With hearing aids, every season will have distinctive difficulties. In the summer, most of those tests are weather and climate related.
Here are a few summer related challenges:
- Wind: A powerful 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.
- Debris, sand and dirt: You’re active during the summer. But sand in your hearing aid, like beach sand, can result in issues.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from swimming, humidity, rain, or simply sweat, moisture is nearly always present in the summer. That’s problematic because moisture can be a huge problem for hearing aids.
In general, it’s quite apparent why these issues are more widespread in the summer months: you spend more time outdoors. And you’re more likely to encounter 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. So throughout the summer, most individuals want to use their hearing aids as frequently as possible. Caring for your hearing aids by taking a few additional steps can make that happen.
Take actions to keep your hearing aids dry
Water will damage electronics and the more advanced the electronics, the worse the possible damage. There are several ways you can protect against moisture:
- Wear a headband when you’re working out. This will help keep sweat out of your ears (and far from your hearing aids).
- Don’t wear your hearing aids into the water. Going for a swim? Great! Just take out your hearing aids first. Naturally, this is common sense. So lingering moisture 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 swimming. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain nice and dry.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids at night and let them air dry. This will help counter damage caused by corrosion of the battery.
- Keep a microfiber towel handy. In that manner, you can dry your hearing aids throughout the day. In this way, you can avoid the build-up of moisture.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
The growth of bacteria is quickened by heat and moisture. In the summer particularly, take measures to keep your hearing aids clean. You can do the following:
- Watch for the long-term accumulation of debris. You can take a few minutes to get rid of any debris on your hearing aids while you sanitize them. Eventually, it’s most likely also a good plan to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
- 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 keep them off of your dashboard when it’s hot. Instead, make sure they’re nestled away someplace dry and cool when you’re not using them.
- Routinely sanitize your hearing aids. Specialized antibacterial wipes are made for this.
Be happy, remain active, hear well
Your hearing aids are designed to help you all through your life, and that’s definitely true of the summer months. There’s a way to keep your hearing aids dry and in good working order whether you’re hiking, swimming, or simply taking an evening stroll around your neighborhood.
