Summer is here! That means hot days, warm nights, sun, fun and water. While all of that is what makes summer great, it’s also all the things that can affect or damage your hearing device. A damaged device may distort or reduce sound quality, affect battery life and/or permanently damage hearing aid parts. Here are some tips for summer hearing aid care to help see you through the season!
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Remove your hearing aid before swimming
Remember to remove your hearing aid if you go for a swim! Be sure to be super aware of others around you or swim with friends who can advise you of sounds like shark alarms or life guard warnings. If your hearing aid does get wet, use a soft micro-fibre cleaning cloth or tissue to dry it, remove the battery straight away and place in dryer or hearing aid dehumidifier. If you don’t have a dehumidifier, pop in and chat with us about purchasing one of these – they are fabulous. You can also use a cold hairdryer to dry out the hearing aid as much as possible. Feel free to pop into the clinics if you have accidentally got your hearing aid wet and we can send it to the manufacturer for a full service to make sure parts inside the aids don’t become corroded.
Remove before exercise
Sweat can also damage your aid. If you’re heading to the gym, going for a run or a workout outside we recommend that you remove your hearing aid. Even water resistant hearing aids can struggle under sweat and humidity as bacteria grows really quickly in these in humid conditions. If you happen to break a sweat unexpectedly or need to wear your aids to hear an instructor in a gym class, just be sure to clean and dry your aid afterwards use a tissue all around the aid and possibly check the battery doesn’t look slightly wet. Just use a tissue to dry this, then pop in the dehumidifier.
Sunscreen, sprays and sand
Watch out for these! Sunscreen, bug sprays and sand can clog the hearing aid microphone. Keep a cleaning kit with you at all times in case you need to clean your aid. If and when you do, make sure you’re sitting down with a towel on your lap, rather than standing, in case you accidentally drop the device. We hear all sorts of stories from our clients of the funny places their hearing aids have dropped! Be mindful of beach sand too. Try and avoid touching your hearing aid with sandy hands.
Secure your hearing aid
Summer is all about getting outdoors and enjoying the beautiful weather with friends and family. Make sure that your aid is secure. There are a wide range of hearing aid clips to choose from to ensure your hearing aid doesn’t fall out. Alternatively, speak to us about a hearing aid that can be worn 24/7 without having to use a clip at all! Lyric is the world’s first and only 100% invisible hearing aid. It is also completely wearable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for months at a time and stays totally secure.
Keep them protected
Use a cleaning kit to clean your hearing aids as often as you can. Once a day before you put them in is generally recommended. Leave them in a dryer overnight and keep them in a protective case when travelling or when you aren’t using them. Remember to also make sure your hearing aids are listed on your home and contents insurance, just in case they are ever lost or damaged beyond repair. Just list them as part of your contents and make sure they are covered for loss in and outside the home.You can speak to us if you need any help with this.
There are some excellent hearing aids in the market that protect the aid from water damage. HydraShield®2 from Starkey Hearing Technologies is a nano coating that protects your hearing aid from water damage. It also protects your device from dust, sweat and wax damage. The Dura device from Unitron is also very moisture resistant.If you’re looking for a durable, water resistant hearing device come in and see us or contact us on 8331 8047. We have three clinics, in Norwood, Unley and Salisbury. We’re happy to help! For more information READ one of our blogs about Hearing Aid Care.