7 Tips for Keeping Your Hearing Aids Safe in the Summer Heat

Hearing aids are valuable devices that enhance the quality of life for individuals with hearing loss, offering compatibility and convenient features like Bluetooth connectivity and easy adjustments with the help of an audiologist. However, ensuring their longevity and optimal performance is crucial, as these finely-tuned tools can be sensitive to damage and mishandling. With the arrival of summer and rising temperatures, it becomes even more important to safeguard your hearing aids. In this post, we will provide seven essential tips to protect your hearing aids during the summer heat that ensures they’ll be able to keep serving you for many seasons to come!

1. Avoid Direct Sunlight for Long Periods

The first step is the simplest. If you expose your hearing aids in your ears to direct sunlight for a long time, they may risk becoming damaged or operating less-than-optimally. This can be easy to forget when you’re just having a good time with friends, sunbathing on a beach, or going about your day-to-day.

Stick to shade if you can, or wear caps with ear covers, or yes, in some cases, covering your ears with hair if it’s long enough can help during temporary periods. When out, make sure to store them in a cool, dry place, or keep a hard-shell carry case with you – just make sure it isn’t transparent.

2. Use a Hearing Aid Dehumidifier

Moisture can build up for a range of reasons, perhaps due to your sweat as you walk in the summer sun, if you leave them on the side when taking a shower, or if spending time on the aforementioned beach. Luckily, hearing aid dehumidifiers can help you remove all of that moisture encouraged by the summer heat more easily and thoroughly, which then allows you to clean them before their next use.

3. Apply Sunscreen Before Use

You’re liable to wear sunscreen in the heat, which is a smart idea for protecting the layers of your skin. That said, if you’re wearing a fair amount, it may combine with sweat and drip into your ears while wearing your hearing aids. For that reason, it’s good to properly rub in your lotion so no slippery handling will end up affecting your hearing aids.

4. Always Know Your Manufacturer’s Limits

In some cases, wearing your hearing aids might not be the best option. Always check your manufacturer’s guidance for official use. For example, hearing aids can operate in the heat, but in some cases, they may become damaged or operate poorly in temps reaching a certain limit.

Commonly, hearing aids can reach up to around 104 degrees Fahrenheit before encountering performance issues, any more than that could risk damage. This is worth considering before booking a vacation to certain places, like Florida, in the midst of summer. You’ll want to ensure you don’t have your devices

5. Keep Watch Over Your Hearing Aids

It’s important to maintain your hearing aids with gentle cleaning and regular visits to your audiologist when instructed. However, you’ll know your hearing aids better than anyone, having used them daily. If you experience loss of function, visual damage, melted plastic, or anything that warrants your concern, have it checked immediately? You’d be amazed how early intervention can provide a small issue from becoming worse.

6. Carry Spare Batteries and Maintenance Tools

Most people like to travel in summer, which is why it’s good to make sure you’re equipped to dealing with your hearing aids. As mentioned above, you sweat more in the heat, your ear canal may fill with moisture due to the humidity, and hearings aids may not operate effectively.

This is why bringing spare batteries, cleaning tools, and carry cases can be so effective. This way, you always retain their best condition no matter what. If worried about your main hearing aids, looking into disposable models for the time being can be a good alternative.

7. Ask Your Audiologist About Any Concerns You May Have

An audiologist will be able to properly offer advice, like the best tools to have on hand when you’re traveling and any additional storage tips and tricks. You can also visit them prior to a longer excursion to ensure your devices are in good working order and provide peace of mind before you leave.

At the Rametta Audiology & Hearing Aid Center, we’re specifically equipped to help you with all manner of hearing aids use. Please contact us today on the following numbers for our expert insight Tarentum: (724) 409-4439, Vandergrift: (724) 567-3233. We look forward to speaking with you!