Summer Activities & Hearing Aid Care

Summer is here and the weather is warming up! This is going to encourage you to get out of the house and enjoy yourself, and you should be able to do that without worrying about your hearing aids. Spending time outdoors is fun, but you need to be aware of the issues that come with the summer weather mixing with your hearing aids. They can be damaged when they are exposed to moisture or heat, and the summer brings water fun and sweat as well as humidity in the air – and none of these things are fun for your hearing aids! 

When you speak to your hearing instrument specialist and get your hearing aids fitted, you should be taught how to look after your hearing aids in the hot weather. They should teach you what can damage your hearing aids in the heat and what can prevent them from working properly, too. Don't panic, though, as we’ve got a list of the tips you need to keep your hearing aids intact and working perfectly during the hot weather! Let’s take a look:

Awareness of Moisture

The first step to ensuring that your hearing aids stay working well is being aware of the moisture in the air. There are tiny computers inside your hearing aids that are affected by water and sweat. A dehumidifier can help in keeping the condensation out of your hearing aids, and you can ensure that a dry cloth will help to avoid the buildup of moisture. You can even buy hearing aid sweatbands during outdoor activities to protect your hearing aids from moisture. You can wipe them down regularly, which will be helpful when you are outside enjoying the sunshine.

Stay in the shade

A hot and sunny day is beautiful and you can still avoid the heat by staying in the shade. Going out early in the morning or later in the day will help your hearing aids to stay dry and if you’re not using your hearing aids, keeping them in a cool and dry place will help.

Keep antimicrobial wipes handy

Humid days are lovely, but they are the perfect environment for bacterial growth inside your hearing aids. You should consider bringing microbial wipes with you everywhere you go and wiping them down to disinfect regularly. This will promote dry and clean hearing aids.

Travel safely

Storage is key and you can plan ahead for a trip that is fun filled, but you need to keep your hearing aids stored away when you are going to be traveling. Batteries should be brought with you, too, just in case you need to replace them while you are away. You can even book hotels that accommodate hearing loops and keep your hearing health intact.

Open the door

Your hearing aid batteries can be as affected by the heat as the hearing aids themselves. Keeping your hearing aid batteries protected by opening the battery door at night will help to keep them dry. You need to know that the increase in the surrounding temperature can use your batteries much faster than usual, but you can extend the battery life with a dry battery and an open door at nighttime. Excessive heat can damage the device and you should make sure that you don't keep your hearing aids in the glove box in the car. You don't want to expose them to any more heat than is necessary, and you can do this with the right location for your hearing aids. 

Avoid water sports while wearing them!

You should absolutely jet ski and go on a boat, but if you’re wearing hearing aids regularly, you should make sure that you are taking them off before you enjoy any activity. Moisture will damage the mechanics inside the hearing aids and you can avoid all of this easily! Before you shower, bath or use a pool, remove the hearing aids and protect them in their storage containers. Using a dry kit at the end of the day will be helpful, too.

If your hearing aids get wet, you need to remove the battery right away and let them dry out for several hours. There are dry kits out there that you can use, too, and these will speed up the drying of your hearing aids. Your hearing instrument specialist should be able to talk you through how to do this.

Get some help!

If you're worried about using your hearing aids on your next summer vacation, speak to the experts and get some advice. Contact Nu-Life Hearing Center today at (855) 867-7449 and get your next appointment booked in.