You have an active summer planned. Plenty of beach time and lots of swimming no doubt. You’ll enjoy some live entertainment, you’ll get lots of exercise jogging or maybe playing some tennis, then it’s time to hit the grill. Your schedule will be pretty full. And you want to make sure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
Summer activities such as these can be difficult on your hearing aids, but these little helpful devices can be protected without it halting your summer fun.
Summertime hearing aid obstacles
Every season is going to introduce unique difficulties with regards to your hearing aids. In the summer, most of those challenges are weather and climate related.
Summer-related challenges could include:
- Debris, sand and dirt: In the summer you’re actually active. But when you go to the beach, there’s a good possibility you might get some sand inside of your hearing aid, and that could cause issues.
- Moisture: During the summer, moisture is almost always a factor, whether from sweat, rain, swimming, or humidity. That’s problematic because moisture can be a major problem for hearing aids.
- Wind: A powerful enough wind can jerk and pull at your hearing aids. And if you’re in an especially dry climate, wind can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aids.
Part of the reason why these issues are more likely to crop up during the summer is clear: you spend more time outdoors. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to experience a strong gust of wind or a flash rainstorm.
Keeping your hearing aids at optimum performance through the summer
Your hearing aids are manufactured to make it possible for you to do more, to improve your quality of life. So throughout the summer, the majority of people want to use their hearing aids as frequently as they can. Caring for your hearing aids by taking a few additional steps can make that happen.
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 is). Keep moisture at bay with these tips:
- Don’t swim with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Great! Don’t forget to take out your hearing aids before swimming. Obviously, this is common sense. So lingering moisture in your ears after you get out of the water is the real concern. That’s why you should consider wearing a swim cap and earplugs when you go swimming. This can help keep your ears (and thus your hearing aids) nice and dry.
- Use a sweatband when you’re exercising. This will help keep sweat out of your ears (and far from your hearing aids).
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Drying your ears thoroughly will help prevent the accidental transference of moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Have a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to routinely dry your hearing aids. This stops moisture from building up when you aren’t paying attention.
- 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 decrease damage.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
The growth of bacteria is quickened by moisture and heat. In the summer particularly, take steps to keep your hearing aids clean. You can do the following:
- Sanitize your hearing aids on a regular basis. Specialized antibacterial wipes are available for this.
- Store your hearing aids in a spot that’s cool and dry. Hearing aids, generally speaking, don’t do well in the direct sunlight. So keep them off your dashboard when it’s hot. Instead, make sure they’re nestled away somewhere cool and dry when you’re not wearing them.
- Watch for the long-term build-up of debris. You can take a little time to get rid of any debris on your hearing aids while you sanitize them. Occasionally, a professional cleaning is needed.
Stay active, stay happy, keep hearing
Your hearing aids will help you for a lifetime and they will enhance your summer months especially. So whether you’re planning on swimming in the lake, hiking over a mountain, or taking a stroll around the neighborhood, there’s a way to be sure your hearing aids remain dry and keep working.
