Summer Maintenance Tips for Your Hearing Aids
When summer comes around, many Americans relish the opportunity to get outside, travel, and enjoy what the natural world has to offer. Some people simply enjoy a walk in the woods, while others are compelled to go deep into the remotest parts of nature in search of solitude. Whether you enjoy a bike ride around your neighborhood or extreme sports that give you an adrenaline rush, you will likely be exposed to the elements when you take part in these activities. The very aspects of the outdoors that make them so much fun to experience can also bring some surprises, such as a midsummer downpour.
When you are taking part in these outdoor activities, you will likely want to wear your hearing aids to be able to communicate with your friends and family. If you take some precautionary steps, you should have no problem maintaining your hearing aids amidst exposure to the elements this summer. Three factors can pose a threat to the functionality of your hearing aids: heat, debris, and moisture. Let’s look at each in turn, so you can set yourself up for a safe and enjoyable summer.
Hearing Aids and Heat
Although hearing aids do well in warm weather, extreme heat can damage the fragile inner components of your aids. Wearing your aids on a hot day isn’t a problem, but leaving them sitting in the sun can pose a threat to functionality. One particularly risky location is a car interior on a hot day. If you leave your aids sitting in the sun, the temperature inside the car can rise to a level that can damage or melt inner components. If you need to leave your aids in the car, be sure to keep them inside a protective case and out of direct sunlight. The best option is to bring your aids indoors with you where they will remain cool.
Hearing Aids and Debris
When it comes to debris and moisture, hearing aids are rated for resistance to the elements. Your hearing aids have an Ingress Protection (IP) rating that indicates how much debris and moisture they can withstand without damage. This two-digit number explains protection against debris in the first digit, ranging from 1 to 7, and protection against moisture in the second digit, ranging from 1 to 9. For instance, an IP rating of 67 indicates a score of 6 out of 7 for debris protection and a score of 7 out of 9 for moisture protection. With a high score in debris protection, you aids should withstand a trip to the beach without damage. No matter the IP rating of your aids, you will do well to wipe down your hearing aids from time to time with a clean, dry cloth to remove any debris that comes along, including dust, dirt, earwax, and sand.
Hearing Aids and Moisture
Perhaps the greatest risk to your hearing aids comes from moisture exposure. The second digit in your IP rating lets you know the level of liquid resistance, but only highly specialized hearing aids are completely waterproof. If your aids have an IP rating of 67, for example, they should withstand up to 30 minutes of immersion in up to 3 feet of water, yet they are not designed for swimming. If you wear your hearing aids during a sweaty jog, while getting splashed on a boat, or during a sudden rainstorm, you will want to dry your aids as soon as possible to maintain functionality. Drying them with a clean, absorptive cloth is a good first step. Particularly if you drop your hearing aids into liquid, you will want to take further steps to dry the inner components of your aids. Some people have success placing their hearing aids in a sealed bag of uncooked rice overnight. Hearing aid dryers are available on the consumer market, and these devices can be useful for those who live in very humid environments, as well.
With these simple maintenance tips in mind, you should be able to wear your hearing aids during a variety of summer activities with full functioning. Communicating with friends, family, loved ones, and community members is part of the fun when it comes to summer activities, so be sure to bring your aids to all these summer events!
