Hearing Aids and Sweat

Hot, humid weather and excess sweat are annoying on another level when you use hearing aids. Moisture and electronics don’t mix well, and getting your devices wet can affect their performance and lifespan. Most modern hearing aids can tolerate everyday exposure to…life, but extra sweat and humidity warrant extra care.
That doesn’t mean you should skip out on summer fun, though. Enjoy the sunshine and activities, and do wear your hearing aids. Simply follow a few guidelines to keep them in tip-top shape all summer.

Summer hearing aid care tips

• Sweatbands are your friend: for your head and your hearing aids.
• Wearing a headband, hat, or bandana to soak up sweat will reduce how much of it is running down your ears.
• You can get specialty hearing aid sweat covers to protect them from moisture and dirt. You just slide them onto your hearing aid when you anticipate sweaty or humid conditions.
• Consider a hearing aid dehumidifier or hearing aid dryer for nighttime and/or to store your hearing aids when you’re not wearing them. These products range from as simple as a container with a desiccant pack to electronic options that dry and even sanitize your devices.
• Take out your hearing aids before swimming (or hitting the water park). While you can — and should — wear your hearing aids for most exercise, activities that involve direct contact with water are an exception. If you’re hitting the pool or showing the kids how’s it’s done on the slip ‘n’ slide, take your hearing aids out first and store them somewhere secure and dry.
• Clean your hearing aids daily in the spring and summer, especially. You may even want to take them in for a deep clean from your hearing aid provider.
• Take advantage of Bluetooth pairing with your CaptionCall phone or CaptionCall Mobile app. Even holding the phone up to your ear in the summer can trap heat and moisture and make your ear sweat. If your hearing aids are Bluetooth enabled, you can pair them with CaptionCall to get the audio of your calls straight through your hearing aids instead of holding your phone to your ear.

Click here for instructions to pair your Bluetooth hearing aids with CaptionCall

What to do if your hearing aids get wet

Do:

• Turn off the hearing aid immediately and remove the battery
• Close the battery door (and remove the tube if you have one) and try to get as much water out as possible by shaking gently and drying with a towel.
• Use a fan or a hairdryer on low heat to dry it out.
• Let the hearing aid sit in a dry place with the battery door open for a day or so to fully dry before putting in a fresh battery and trying to turn it on again.

Don’t use high heat; putting your hearing aid in an oven, microwave, or blasting it with a hot hairdryer will ruin it.
If your hearing aid isn’t working after your attempts to dry it out, a professional may still be able to revive it. Get it checked out by your hearing health provider or a hearing aid specialist before giving up hope.