Protecting Your Hearing Aids During the Fall Season

With the change of the seasons comes a change in weather. It’s Fall, and many of us are already starting to see a lot more rain and wind. While you might like the change in weather, that’s not going to be the same for your hearing aids. Both the rain and the cold can lead to a plethora of different complications when it comes to how your devices function. Here, we’re going to look at a few tips to help you protect them, and when you should reach out to your hearing instrument specialist for help.

Don’t Wear Your Hearing Aids in the Rain

If you’re able to, take out your hearing aids whenever it’s raining outside, or avoid going outside entirely. The rain can lead to a buildup of moisture in your hearing aids, which can result in all manner of malfunctions. Pay attention to the weather forecast and plan any trips outside around the weather. You can’t always accurately predict the weather, but you can be a little more careful.

What to do if you get caught in the rain

Sometimes, you won’t be able to help it, you’ll get caught in a bout of rain while outdoors. You want to get inside and out of the rain as quickly as possible but try not to panic too much. Simply make sure that you take out your hearing aids and dry them as soon as possible. Just use a dry towel to wipe any visible excess moisture on them. If you have a hearing aid storage case that offers dehumidifying properties, you might want to keep it in there for a while. Whatever you do, do not use a blow dryer or a microwave to try and dry your hearing aids.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Covered

It’s not easy to keep your ears totally covered from any rain and moisture, but you can make some effort if you have to go outside. For instance, you can wear something with a hood, or you can wear a hat. Just make sure that whatever you wear offers enough coverage to keep your hearing aids totally protected. For instance, if you’re wearing a hood, try to make sure that you can draw it closed around your head to stop any moisture from reaching your ears.

Protect Your Hearing Aids from the Cold

It’s not just the rain that you should look out for – fall can get cold – and when it does, the decrease in temperature can cause problems. Aside from causing your batteries to run out more quickly, condensation becomes a much more prominent concern. When you move in from the cool air to the warm indoors, moisture can build up inside the hearing aid. You want to reduce this swing of temperatures, typically by wearing something over your ears to keep them warm, like a hat, headband, earmuffs, or a hearing aid sleeve.

Can You Get Waterproof Hearing Aids?

Although it may arrive at some point in the future, there is no technology available right now that allows for a completely waterproof hearing aid. That said, if you need to go outside often, regardless of the weather, due to your job or otherwise, then your hearing instrument specialist could help you select hearing aids that are better suited, such as those with water resistance capabilities.

Keep an Ear Out for Symptoms of Damage

If the water hasn’t completed damaged your device, there are additional signs that your hearing aids are experiencing performance issues caused by moisture buildup, including:

• Static or crackling sounds
• Distortions and fluctuations in volume
• Power cuts, or they turn off and on again by themselves.

If you experience any of the above, then it’s a good idea to take them off and get in touch with someone that can help as soon as possible.

Get in Touch with Our Hearing Instrument Specialist

If your hearing aids are showing any of the signs of moisture-related malfunctions, or any other kinds of problems, then be sure to call your hearing instrument specialist. They can perform a lot of the most common repairs on hearing aids, but they can also get in touch with the manufacturer and offer a temporary replacement to ensure that you don’t have to go without them in the meantime. Learn more about how a hearing instrument specialist can help you by getting in touch with Hear More Medical Centers of America at (352) 877-9243