You have a lively summer planned. Plenty of beach time and lots of swimming no doubt. You’ll do some regular jogging and then maybe take in a ball game or two before going home to up some tasty dinner. Your schedule is going to be rather full. And you want to be sure your hearing aids are up to the task.
All of these activities can present unique challenges for your hearing aids, but there are a few easy ways you can safeguard these little, helpful devices and enjoy your summer too.
Challenges of hearing aids during the summer
Each season is going to present unique obstacles when it comes to your hearing aids. In the summer, most of those challenges are weather and climate related.
Summer-related challenges could include:
- Wind: A powerful enough wind can jerk and yank at your hearing aids. Depending on the environment, strong winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
- Debris, sand and dirt: You’re active during the summer. But when you go to the beach, there’s a good possibility you might get some sand inside of your hearing aid, and that may cause issues.
- Moisture: During the summer, moisture is almost always a factor, whether from rain, sweat, swimming, or humidity. Moisture can be harmful to hearing aids so that can present a challenge.
For the most part, it’s pretty apparent why these problems are more common during the summer months: you spend more time outside. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to encounter a powerful gust of wind or a flash rainstorm.
Keeping your hearing aids at peak performance through the summer
Your hearing aids are made to make it possible for you to do more, to enhance the quality of life. Most individuals who wear hearing aids will want to use them as much as they can, particularly during the summer. This means taking a few extra steps to take care of the technology and make sure your hearing aids continue working.
Keeping 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:
- Have a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to routinely dry your hearing aids. In this way, you can prevent the accumulation of wetness.
- Don’t swim with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Sweet! Just take out your hearing aids first. Naturally, the majority of people already do this. So the real danger is the wetness in your ears that remains after you go into the water. That’s why you should consider wearing a swim cap and earplugs when you go swimming. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain nice and dry.
- Use a sweatband when you’re working out. Your hearing aids will stay quite dry because sweat can’t reach them.
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Air dry your hearing aids while you sleep by opening the battery compartment. This will help stop the battery from corroding and will prevent damage.
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:
- Sanitize your hearing aids on a regular basis. This can be accomplished with specially made antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
- Watch out for the long-term build-up of debris. You can take a little time to clear away 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.
- Store your hearing aids in a place that’s cool and dry. That’s because hearing aids (generally) don’t like exposure to heat and direct sunlight. So don’t store them on your dashboard on a hot summer day. Instead, when you’re not wearing them, store your hearing aids in a cool, dry spot.
Stay active, remain happy, keep hearing
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 going for a swim in the lake, hiking over a mountain, or taking a walk around the neighborhood, there’s a way to make sure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.
