Moisture is a major hazard for hearing aids; water exposure can corrode the battery, crack the tubing, damage internal circuitry and affect the speakers and microphone.
Accidentally wearing your hearing aids into the pool or shower isn’t the only way they can be exposed to moisture. Often, moisture can be introduced in subtle, environmental ways. One such way is humid summer days.
Protect Your Devices
There isn’t much you can do to avoid moisture on a humid day; if you go outside at all, you’re in it. Therefore, whenever you’re out and about when humidity is high, try covering your devices with specialized hearing aid sleeves. (A hat that covers your ears will also work, but, of course, it’s uncommon to wear hats like that when the weather is warm.)
If you take your hearing aids out for any reason, don’t just set them down on a nearby surface in the humid air. Instead, tuck them into a secure hearing aid case and stow the case somewhere shady and safe. This will keep moisture out and keep them safe from harm.
Drying Hearing Aids
During humid weather, it’s wise to add a drying step to your daily hearing aid cleaning regimen. This will effectively combat any moisture, from humidity or elsewhere, that may have built up over the course of the day.
If you weren’t outside for long and exposure was minimal, you can use a hearing aid dry box, a small jar with a moisture-absorbing agent inside, to lift moisture gently from your hearing aids. Leave your hearing aids in the dry box overnight to complete the drying process.
If your hearing aids got more wet than that, either due to getting dunked in water or because you were out on an exceptionally humid day for a very long time, consider using an electric hearing aid dryer instead. This one works faster, interrupting and minimizing moisture damage from significant exposure.
Caring for the Batteries
Battery damage is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to moisture exposure for hearing aids. Whenever you dry your hearing aids, remove the battery and leave the battery compartment open to air out the battery and the compartment entirely.
If your hearing aids use replaceable button batteries, store them smartly in a cool, dry place. Battery life will drain slightly while they wait on your shelf, but it will drain more slowly if they’re not kept in extreme conditions, such as heat, cold or—you guessed it—humid or damp conditions.
Waterproof Hearing Aids
Summers in Torrance can be somewhat humid. If you live an outdoorsy lifestyle or work outside a lot, you might consider upgrading to waterproof hearing aids. These keep moisture out, giving you peace of mind even in the most humid weather.
If you have any questions about hearing aid maintenance or how the weather can impact hearing aid performance, give us a call at Torrance Audiology.
