You have a lively summer planned. You’re definitely going to hit the beach and maybe go for a swim. You’ll take in some live entertainment, you’ll get plenty of exercise jogging or maybe playing some tennis, then it’s time to hit the grill. You’re going to be busy! So it’s essential that your hearing aids are ready.
Summer activities like these can be tough on your hearing aids, but these little useful devices can be protected without it slowing your summer fun.
Difficulties of hearing aids in the summer
Each season is going to introduce distinct challenges when it comes to your hearing aids. During the summer, many of those tests are weather and climate related.
Summer-related challenges might include:
- Wind: A strong enough wind can jerk and yank at your hearing aids. Depending on the environment, powerful winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
- Dirt and debris: During the summer you’re actually active. But when you hit the beach, there’s a good possibility you may get some sand in your hearing aid, and that might cause problems.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from humidity, swimming, rain, or simply sweat, moisture is just about always present in the summer. Moisture can do a number on hearing aids so that can present a problem.
Part of the reason why these problems are more likely to crop up during the summer is clear: you’re usually outside more. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to experience a powerful gust of wind or a flash rainstorm.
How to keep your hearing aids working great all summer
Your hearing aids are made to make it possible for you to do more, to improve your quality of life. So throughout the summer, the majority of individuals want to use their hearing aids as frequently as possible. This means doing a few extra things to care for the technology and make sure your hearing aids keep working.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids dry
We’ve established that moisture is the enemy of a well-functioning hearing aid (the more sophisticated the electronics, the worse water becomes). There are a couple of ways you can protect against moisture:
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids at night and let them air dry. This will help prevent damage from corrosion of the battery.
- Don’t bring your hearing aids into the water. Beach day? Great! Don’t forget to take out your hearing aids before going into the water. Obviously, this is common sense. So the real risk is the wetness in your ears that remains after you go swimming. Wearing a swim cap or earplugs when you’re swimming is a smart idea. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will stay nice and dry.
- When you’re performing an activity that will cause you to sweat, use a sweatband. Your hearing aids will stay quite dry because moisture can’t get to them.
- Keep a microfiber towel nearby. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. This stops wetness from accumulating when you aren’t paying attention.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Drying your ears totally will help avoid the unintentional transfer of moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
Take steps to keep your hearing aids clean
The growth of bacteria is fueled by moisture and heat. So you should also take a few steps to ensure your hearing aids are staying clean during the summer months. You can do the following:
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s cool and dry. Hearing aids, as a rule, don’t handle direct sunlight very well. So keep them off your dashboard on hot days. Alternatively, make sure they’re nestled away somewhere cool and dry when you’re not wearing them.
- Don’t let debris accumulate over time. You can take a little time to remove any debris on your hearing aids while you disinfect them. Eventually, it’s probably also a good plan to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
- Sanitize your hearing aids on a regular basis. Specialized antibacterial wipes are made for this.
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. 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.
