You’ve got a lively summer planned. You’re definitely 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 be sure your hearing aids are up to the challenge.
Summer activities such as these can be tough on your hearing aids, but these little helpful devices can be protected without it slowing your summer fun.
Summer hearing aid challenges
With hearing aids, every season will come with distinctive obstacles. During the summer, many of those tests are weather and climate related.
Here are a few summer related challenges:
- Wind: Your hearing aids can be pushed and pulled around by the wind if it’s strong enough. Depending on the environment, powerful winds can also introduce dust and debris into your hearing aid.
- Dirt and debris: During the summer you’re very active. But when you hit the beach, there’s a good chance you may get some sand inside of your hearing aid, and that could cause problems.
- Moisture: Whether it’s from swimming, humidity, rain, or just sweat, moisture is nearly always present during the summer. That’s an issue because moisture can be a huge problem for hearing aids.
In general, it’s fairly apparent why these issues are more common in the summer months: you spend more time outdoors. And when you spend more time outside, you’re more likely to experience a powerful gust of wind or a flash 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. So over the course of the summer, most people want to use their hearing aids as often as possible. Taking care of your hearing aids by taking some extra steps can make that happen.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids dry
Water will damage electronics and the more sophisticated the electronics, the worse the potential damage. Protect against moisture with these tips:
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
- Use a headband when you’re working out. Your hearing aids will stay nice and dry because sweat can’t reach them.
- Don’t swim with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Nice! Just take out your hearing aids first. Of course, the majority of people already do this. So residual moisture in your ears after you get out of the water is the real issue. Using a swim cap or earplugs while swimming is a good plan. This can help keep your ears (and thus your hearing aids) quite dry.
- Air dry your hearing aids while you sleep by opening the battery door. This will help prevent damage caused by corrosion of the battery.
- Keep a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to routinely dry your hearing aids. This stops moisture from accumulating when you aren’t paying attention.
Take measures to keep your hearing aids clean
The growth of bacteria is fueled by heat and moisture. So you should also do a few things to make sure your hearing aids are remaining clean during the summer months. You can do the following:
- Routinely sanitize your hearing aids. You can do this with specially made antibacterial and disinfectant wipes.
- Watch out for the long-term accumulation of debris. You can take a few minutes to remove any debris on your hearing aids while you disinfect them. Sometimes, a professional cleaning is needed.
- Store your hearing aids in a dry, cool place. Hearing aids, as a rule, don’t handle direct sunlight very well. So don’t store them on your dashboard on the hottest day of summer. Alternatively, when you’re not wearing them, store your hearing aids in a cool, dry place.
Be happy, remain active, hear well
Your hearing aids are made to help you throughout your life, and that’s certainly true of the summer season. You can keep your hearing aids dry and in good working order whether you’re hiking, swimming, or just taking an evening stroll around your neighborhood.