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 baseball game or two before heading home to up some delicious dinner. You’ll be busy! And you want to be sure your hearing aids are up to the task.
Summer activities such as these can be hard on your hearing aids, but these little helpful devices can be safeguarded without it halting your summer fun.
Summer hearing aid obstacles
With hearing aids, every season will have distinctive obstacles. Climate and weather are the greatest obstacles in the summer.
Summer-related obstacles might include:
- Debris, sand and dirt: During the summer you’re very active. But when you go to the beach, there’s a good possibility you could get some sand in your hearing aid, and that may cause problems.
- Wind: A powerful 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.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from humidity, swimming, rain, or just sweat, moisture is just about always present during the summer. That’s an issue because moisture can be a huge issue for hearing aids.
Generally, it’s quite apparent why these problems are more prevalent during the summer months: you tend to be outside 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 make it possible for you to do more. Most individuals who use hearing aids will want to use them as much as possible, especially during the summer. This means taking a few extra steps to care for the technology and make sure your hearing aids keep working.
Keeping 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 becomes). Keep moisture at bay with these tips:
- Don’t swim with your hearing aids in your ears. Going swimming? Sweet! Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before going into the water. Obviously, this is common sense. So lingering wetness in your ears after you get out of the water is the real concern. Wearing a swim cap or earplugs while swimming is a good idea. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain nice and dry.
- 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.
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Air dry your hearing aids at night by opening the battery door. This will help stop the battery from corroding and will prevent damage.
- Keep a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. This stops moisture from accumulating when you aren’t watching.
Take steps 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. Here are some guidelines:
- Store your hearing aids in a place that’s cool and dry. That’s because hearing aids (generally) don’t like exposure to direct sunlight and heat. So don’t store them on your dashboard on the hottest day of summer. Instead, when you’re not wearing them, keep your hearing aids in a dry, cool place.
- Don’t let debris accumulate over time. You can take a few minutes to remove any debris on your hearing aids while you sanitize them. Sometimes, a professional cleaning is needed.
- Routinely sanitize your hearing aids. Specialized antibacterial wipes are available for this.
Stay active, remain happy, keep hearing
Your hearing aids will help 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 just taking an evening stroll around your neighborhood.