Summertime Hearing Aid Care

Taking care of your hearing aids simply means better hearing for longer

Summertime gives us sunny days, warm weather and lots of time spent outside. But for people with hearing aids, summer can present some additional problems. 

Heat & Moisture

Hearing aids can be damaged when exposed to excessive heat or moisture. Sweat and water are the two biggest enemies of hearing aids during the summer followed closely by earwax. Temperature changes can cause the forming of condensation internally in the hearing aids.

We also sweat a lot more during the summer which increases the hearing aids exposure to moisture. All of these are damaging to your hearing aids and may prevent them from working properly. Damage could result in distorted or weak sound quality, reduced battery life and failures. It often happens that as moisture builds up in a hearing aid, the output weakens or fails. 

Regular Occurrence

We are faced with this problem regularly enough in our practice, although manufacturers ahve taken steps to reduce the problem (more on that later). We would have Patients come in and complain that the hearing aid had failed. When we would check it, it would be fine much to their surprise.

What was happening was that moisture was building up inside the hearing aid and it was weakening or shutting down. Of course they would take it out of their ear and book in to see us. The aid would dry out by the time they came in and the aid would be working just fine. 

Manufacturer Strategies

Most hearing aid manufacturers use  cutting edge nano-coating of all internal parts to help reduce the problems. Nano-coating repels moisture, actively driving it away, it helps prevent moisture from entering the seams of the hearing aid case and the microphone ports. 

But even if your hearing aids have nano-coating, it’s still important to take extra care during the summer months when there is much more moisture problems. Here are some ways to keep you hearing aids safe and functional this summer.  

Protect Your Hearing Aids This Summer

• Take out your hearing aids when exercising outside, if it is raining or if the weather is extremely warm. 
• At night, open the battery door to allow dry, fresh air to move through the hearing aid and relieve moisture.
• Use a de-humidifier system at least once a week to completely dry out your hearing aids.
• Keep you hearing aids in a protective case and out of direct sunlight when you are not wearing them.
• Avoid storing hearing aids in humid places such as in glove boxes, dashboards, or other environments where heat and moisture can build up.
• Remove your hearing aids before showering, swimming or any activity in which you will or could be exposed to water. 
• Sunscreen like beauty products, has oils that can damage hearing aids, so apply lotions or sprays completely before putting on your hearing aids. Be sure that the sunscreen is fully rubbed in or dry before putting your hearing aids back on or the oils will seep into open seams and microphone ports or vents. 

If you follow these simple steps you can help to protect your hearing aids and enjoy their benefits all the way through the summer. 

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