You’re planning a very active summer. You’re definitely going to go to the beach and maybe go for a swim. You’ll do some regular jogging and then maybe attend a ball game or two before heading home to up some tasty dinner. You’ll be busy! So it’s crucial that your hearing aids are ready.
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.
Obstacles of hearing aids during the summer
With hearing aids, each season will come with distinctive difficulties. Climate and weather are the greatest obstacles in the summer.
Here are some summer related obstacles:
- Wind: Your hearing aids can be pushed and pulled around by the wind if it’s powerful enough. Depending on the environment, strong 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. Moisture can be harmful to hearing aids so that can present a challenge.
- Dirt and debris: In the summer you’re really active. But sand inside of your hearing aid, such as beach sand, can lead to issues.
In general, it’s quite obvious why these problems are more prevalent during the summer months: you spend more time outdoors. And you’re more likely to experience a sudden rain storm or a strong wind when you’re outside so often.
Keeping your hearing aids at optimum performance through the summer
Your hearing aids are made to allow you to do more, to enhance the quality of life. Most individuals who use hearing aids will want to use them as much as possible, particularly during the summer. Taking care of your hearing aids by taking some extra steps can make that happen.
Take actions to keep your hearing aids dry
Water will wreak havoc on electronics and the more state-of-the-art the electronics, the worse the potential damage. There are a couple of ways you can protect against moisture:
- When you’re performing an activity that will cause you to sweat, wear a sweatband. This will help keep sweat out of your ears (and away from your hearing aids).
- Have a microfiber towel handy. You can use this to periodically dry your hearing aids. This stops moisture from building up when you aren’t paying attention.
- Don’t swim with your hearing aids in your ears. Beach day? Great! Don’t forget to remove your hearing aids before swimming. Of course, the majority of individuals already do this. So lingering wetness in your ears after you get out of the water is the real concern. That’s why you should start thinking about using a swim cap and earplugs when you go in the water. By doing this your ears and thus your hearing aids will remain nice and dry.
- Open the battery compartment on your hearing aids at night and let them air dry. This will help stop the battery from corroding and will decrease damage.
- Dry your ears thoroughly. Make sure you aren’t accidentally transferring moisture from your ears to your hearing aids.
Take steps to keep your hearing aids clean
The growth of bacteria is quickened by heat and moisture. So you should also take a few steps to ensure your hearing aids are staying clean during the summer months. You can do the following:
- Routinely disinfect your hearing aids. Specialized antibacterial wipes are available for this.
- Store your hearing aids in a dry, cool place. That’s because hearing aids (as a general rule) don’t do well with exposure to direct sunlight and heat. So keep them off your dashboard on hot days. Instead, when you’re not using them, keep your hearing aids in a dry, cool spot.
- Watch out 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. Eventually, it’s most likely also a good plan to have your hearing aids professionally cleaned.
Be happy, remain active, hear well
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.