Part of hearing well with hearing aids is making sure they are performing their best. While hearing aids are built to be durable, you need to protect them from moisture which can compromise your hearing aid’s performance. Whether you’re an avid swimmer or wear your hearing aids for sweaty activities like hiking or jogging, there are daily activities that may expose your hearing devices to moisture.
How does moisture affect your hearing aids and what can you do to protect them from damage? Here’s some information to help you get the most from your hearing aids.
Why Dry?
It’s common sense to keep electronic devices away from water and liquids – but why is moisture so damaging to our devices? There are a few things that can go wrong when electronics get wet, sometimes causing irreparable damage.
Water can cause an electrical short in an electronic device like your hearing aids. Shorting happens when ions and impurities in the water form a connection between conductive components that weren’t designed to be connected. Electrical current flowing through this impromptu circuit can overload and damage delicate components and cause the entire device to malfunction or break down. Basically, water can lead electricity down paths it was never meant to travel.
Water and moisture can also lead to corrosion if a device is not properly dried. Corrosion on delicate metal elements inside a hearing aid can prevent it from working efficiently, or even stop it from working entirely. Corrosion interferes with the conductivity of metal components and can cause sudden or gradual decreased performance in an electronic device.
How to Protect Your Hearing Aids
The first step in protecting your hearing aids has been done without you having to think or do anything. Modern hearing aids are designed to prevent most moisture from penetrating into places where it can cause damage. Sensitive components of your hearing aid are also assembled with a water-resistant coating to further increase your device’s durability. The sealed design and manufacture of your hearing aids is the first line of defense against moisture interference.
Hearing aids are built to stand up to the moisture they may be exposed to during everyday activities. They are specifically designed to withstand the variable (and often humid) conditions of the human ear canal. Even with their focus on keeping water out, the other half of protecting your hearing aids from harm is up to you.
Maintaining your hearing aids can preserve their performance and prevent repairs. Moisture is best eliminated by taking the time to dry your hearing aids when they are not in your ears. Using a small device called a hearing aid dryer is your best solution for getting your hearing aids thoroughly dry. Most hearing aid dryers are small closed containers, about the size and shape of a jewelry box. They are easy to use and create a closed chamber where your hearing aids dry overnight while you sleep. If you use rechargeable hearing aids, your dryer may double as your charging station.
When an electric dryer isn’t available, you can still protect your hearing aid by placing it in a closed container or bag with a chemical desiccant. Like the silica pouches sometimes included in food packaging, desiccants draw moisture away from whatever they are around.
Be Water Safe
Your hearing aids were designed to resist average amounts of perspiration and humidity, but they aren’t meant to be exposed to big direct quantities of water. You should never swim, bathe or shower with your hearing aids in. Vigorous work or exercise may create problems caused by sweat.
To prevent exposing your hearing aids to water, the best accessory is a small watertight container into which you can seal your hearing aids if the going gets wet. Anywhere where there is a chance your hearing aids may get soaked, splashed or submerged is a place you will want to remove your hearing devices while water is present. Hearing aids are an investment in your health, and it pays off to protect that investment from harm.
Kenwood Hearing Centers
Hearing aid maintenance is an important part of ensuring their longevity. If you’re concerned about moisture and the functionality of your hearing aids, contact us at Kenwood Hearing Centers today. We provide comprehensive, professional hearing aid care and maintenance to keep you hearing at your best!