You’re planning a very active summer. Plenty of beach time and lots of swimming for sure. You’ll do some regular jogging and then maybe attend a ball game or two before heading home to up some delicious dinner. You’re going to be busy! So it’s important that your hearing aids are prepared.
All of these activities can present unique risks for your hearing aids, but there are a few simple ways you can protect these little, helpful devices and enjoy your summer at the same time.
Difficulties of hearing aids in the summer
With hearing aids, each season will have distinctive difficulties. Climate and weather are the leading obstacles in the summer.
Summer-related obstacles could include:
- Wind: Your hearing aids can be pushed and pulled around by the wind if it’s powerful enough. And if you’re in an especially dry climate, wind can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aids.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from swimming, humidity, rain, or just sweat, moisture is nearly always present during the summer. That’s an issue because moisture can be a huge issue for hearing aids.
- Debris, sand and dirt: You’re active during the summer. But sand inside of your hearing aid, such as beach sand, can result in problems.
Part of the reason why these issues are more common in the summer is self-evident: you’re usually outdoors more often. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to experience a powerful 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. So over the course of the summer, the majority of individuals want to use their hearing aids as often as possible. This means taking a few extra steps to care for the technology and ensure your hearing aids continue working.
Take measures 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). Keep moisture at bay with these tips:
- Air dry your hearing aids at night by opening the battery compartment. This will help stop the battery from corroding and will decrease damage.
- Have a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. This stops wetness from accumulating when you aren’t watching.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. 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, wear a sweatband. Your hearing aids will stay nice and dry because moisture can’t get to them.
- Don’t wear your hearing aids into the water. Beach day? Nice! Don’t forget to take out your hearing aids before going into the water. Naturally, this is common sense. So lingering moisture in your ears after you get out of the water is the real issue. Wearing a swim cap or earplugs when you’re swimming is a good plan. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain nice and dry.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
Heat and moisture can both fuel the growth of bacteria. During the summer particularly, take measures to keep your hearing aids clean. Here are some tips:
- Watch out for the long-term build-up of debris. You can take a few minutes to get rid of any debris on your hearing aids while you disinfect them. Occasionally, a professional cleaning is needed.
- Disinfect your hearing aids regularly. This can be done with specially made antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s dry and cool. 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 a hot summer day. Instead, make sure they’re tucked away somewhere dry and cool when you aren’t using them.
Stay active, remain happy, keep hearing
Your hearing aids are made to accompany you throughout your life, and that’s certainly true of the summer season. 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 be sure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.
