You’re planning a very active summer. Some beach time and lots of swimming for sure. You’ll do some regular running and then maybe attend a ball game or two before going home to up some delicious dinner. Your schedule is going to be rather full. And you want to be sure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
Summer activities like these can be hard on your hearing aids, but these little useful devices can be protected without it halting your summer fun.
Summertime hearing aid challenges
Each season is going to introduce distinct difficulties when it comes to your hearing aids. In the summer, many of those tests are weather and climate related.
Summer-related obstacles may include:
- Debris, sand and dirt: You’re active in the summer. But when you hit the beach, there’s a good chance you may get some sand in your hearing aid, and that may cause issues.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from swimming, humidity, rain, or just sweat, moisture is nearly always present in the summer. That’s problematic because moisture can be a major issue for hearing aids.
- 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.
In general, it’s quite apparent why these issues are more common in the summer months: you’re usually outside more. And you’re more likely to encounter a surprise rain storm or a powerful wind when you’re outside so often.
How to keep your hearing aids in good working order all summer
Your hearing aids are made to improve your quality of life, to allow you to do more. So throughout the summer, the majority of people want to wear their hearing aids as frequently as they can. Caring for your hearing aids by taking some additional steps can make that happen.
Take steps to keep your hearing aids dry
Water will damage electronics and the more advanced the electronics, the worse the potential damage. There are a few ways you can protect against moisture:
- Have a microfiber towel nearby. You can use this to routinely dry your hearing aids. This stops moisture from accumulating when you aren’t paying attention.
- Air dry your hearing aids at night by opening the battery door. This will help prevent damage caused by corrosion of the battery.
- Wear a sweatband when you’re exercising. This will help keep moisture out of your ears (and away from your hearing aids).
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Don’t go swimming with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Great! Just take out your hearing aids first. Obviously, most people already do this. 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 in the water. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain quite dry.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
Heat and moisture can both hasten the growth of bacteria. So you should also do a few things to make sure your hearing aids are remaining clean over the summer months. You can do the following:
- Don’t let debris accumulate over time. You can take a few minutes to remove any debris on your hearing aids while you disinfect them. Sometimes, a professional cleaning is needed.
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s cool and dry. That’s because hearing aids (generally) don’t do well with exposure to direct sunlight and heat. So keep them off your dashboard on hot days. Alternatively, make sure they’re tucked away somewhere cool and dry when you’re not using them.
- Routinely disinfect your hearing aids. This can be done with specially produced antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
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. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking up a mountain, or going for a stroll around the neighborhood, there’s a way to make sure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.