For hearing aid wearers, the combination of being more active and warmer temperatures during summer means more maintenance for your aids and ears. Your hearing aids are an investment, and not caring for them properly can hurt both your pockets and your hearing. Summer hearing aid care during the warmer months is important to keep your hearing aids at their peak performance.
Moisture
Many look to water activities for fun and to beat the summer heat. Unfortunately, many hearing aids are not completely waterproof, but these tips will help you keep them safe from moisture.
- Store your hearing aids safely away from water while swimming or participating in other water sports
- Keep a microfiber towel handy to dry your hearing aids throughout your day of activities
- Wear a swim cap and ear plugs to help keep water out of your ears
- Dry your ears completely to avoid trapping water in them and damaging your hearing aids or causing an ear infection
If you frequent the beach or are regularly active, consider hearing aids like the Phonak – Lyric™, which fit completely in your ear and have built-in moisture protection. If you experience earaches or congestion in your ears after water activities, ask your audiologist to check for an ear infection. Additionally, if your hearing aids begin to malfunction in any way after possible exposure to moisture, consult your audiologist.
Heat
Summers in South Florida are tons of fun but the heat can damage your hearing aids or their batteries. Luckily, protecting your devices from the summer heat is fairly easy.
- Store your hearing aids in a cool, dry area
- Do not leave your hearing aids or batteries in your vehicle or exposed to direct sunlight
- Take an extra set of batteries for backup
To eliminate the need for backup batteries, consider upgrading to rechargeable hearing aids like the latest Oticon S or Oticon Xceed.
For more tips on caring for your hearing or your hearing aids, contact the experts at New Generation Hearing Centers.
