You’re planning a really active summer. Some beach time and lots of swimming for sure. You’ll do some regular running and then maybe take in a ball game or two before heading home to up some tasty dinner. You’re going to be busy! 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 helpful devices can be protected without it slowing your summer fun.
Summertime hearing aid difficulties
With hearing aids, each season will have distinctive difficulties. In the summer, many of those tests are weather and climate related.
Summer-related obstacles could include:
- Dirt and debris: You’re active during the summer. But when you hit the beach, there’s a good possibility you may get some sand in your hearing aid, and that may cause issues.
- 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 environment, wind can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aids.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from swimming, humidity, rain, or simply sweat, moisture is just about always present during the summer. Moisture can be harmful to hearing aids so that can present a challenge.
For the most part, it’s fairly obvious why these issues are more prevalent during the summer months: you spend more time outdoors. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to encounter a strong gust of wind or a sudden 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 enhance your quality of life. The majority of individuals who wear hearing aids will want to use them as much as they can, especially through the summer. This means taking a few extra steps to take care of the technology and make sure your hearing aids continue working.
Take steps to keep your hearing aids dry
We’ve established that moisture is the adversary of a well-functioning hearing aid (the more advanced the electronics, the worse water is). There are a couple of ways you can keep moisture at bay:
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids while you sleep and let them air dry. This will help prevent damage caused by corrosion of the battery.
- Keep a microfiber towel handy. That way, you can dry your hearing aids throughout the day. This stops moisture from accumulating when you aren’t paying attention.
- Don’t wear your hearing aids into the water. Going for a swim? Sweet! Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before going into the water. Obviously, this is common sense. So the real hazard is the wetness in your ears that lingers after you go into the water. Using a swim cap or earplugs while swimming is a smart plan. This can help keep your ears (and thus your hearing aids) quite dry.
- Use a headband when you’re exercising. This will help keep sweat 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.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
Heat and moisture can both fuel the growth of bacteria. In the summer particularly, take measures to keep your hearing aids clean. You can do the following:
- Store your hearing aids in a place that’s dry and cool. Hearing aids, as a rule, don’t handle direct sunlight very well. So keep them off of your dashboard on hot days. Instead, make sure they’re nestled away somewhere dry and cool when you’re not wearing them.
- Watch out for the long-term accumulation of debris. You can take a little time to get rid of any debris on your hearing aids while you disinfect them. Sooner or later, it’s most likely also a good plan to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
- Routinely sanitize your hearing aids. This can be accomplished with specially made antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
Be happy, stay active, hear well
Your hearing aids are made to accompany you throughout your life, and that’s certainly true of the summer months. So whether you’re planning on going for a swim in the lake, hiking up a mountain, or going for a walk around the neighborhood, there’s a way to make sure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.