You’re planning a really active summer. You’re certainly going to hit the beach and maybe take a swim. You’ll enjoy some live entertainment, you’ll get lots of exercise jogging or possibly playing some tennis, then it’s time to hit the grill. You’re going to be busy! And you want to make sure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
Summer activities such as these can be hard on your hearing aids, but these little beneficial devices can be protected without it slowing your summer fun.
Summertime hearing aid obstacles
With hearing aids, every season will come with unique challenges. Climate and weather are the leading challenges in the summer.
Here are a few summer related challenges:
- Moisture: Whether it’s from swimming, humidity, rain, or just sweat, moisture is just about always present in the summer. That’s problematic because moisture can be a major issue for hearing aids.
- Wind: A powerful enough wind can tug and yank at your hearing aids. Depending on the environment, strong winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
- Dirt and debris: During the summer you’re really active. But sand inside of your hearing aid, like beach sand, can cause problems.
Part of the reason why these issues are more common during the summer is self-evident: you spend more time outside. And you’re more likely to experience a sudden rain storm or a powerful wind when you’re outdoors so often.
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 your quality of life. So over the course of the summer, most individuals want to use their hearing aids as often as they can. 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
Water will damage electronics and the more advanced the electronics, the worse the possible damage. There are a couple of ways you can keep moisture at bay:
- Thoroughly dry your ears. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Use a sweatband when you’re working out. This will help keep moisture out of your ears (and far from your hearing aids).
- Don’t go swimming with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Great! Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before going into the water. Naturally, this is common sense. So the real hazard is the moisture in your ears that remains after you go swimming. That’s why you should start thinking about using a swim cap and earplugs when you go swimming. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain quite dry.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids while you sleep and let them air dry. This will help stop the battery from corroding and will prevent damage.
- Keep a microfiber towel nearby. That way, you can dry out your hearing aids all through the day. In this way, you can prevent the accumulation of moisture.
Regularly clean your hearing aids
Heat and moisture can both hasten the growth of bacteria. So you should also take a few steps to make sure your hearing aids are remaining clean over the summer months. Here are some guidelines:
- 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. Occasionally, a professional cleaning is needed.
- Store your hearing aids in a dry, cool place. Hearing aids, generally speaking, don’t handle direct sunlight very well. So keep them off your dashboard when it’s hot. Alternatively, when you’re not wearing them, store your hearing aids in a dry, cool place.
- Routinely disinfect your hearing aids. Specialized antibacterial wipes are made 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. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking over a mountain, or going for a stroll around the neighborhood, there’s a way to make sure your hearing aids stay dry and keep working.