How to Protect Your Hearing Aids from Cold and Wet Fall Weather

For many people with hearing loss, hearing aids are an essential solution. If you find yourself needing hearing aids, then you will need to ensure you are caring for them as best as you can. The more effectively you look after them, the longer they will last, which is going to be essential to help ensure that you can continue to hear in your daily life.

So, what do you need to think about here? As it happens, one of the main issues is making sure that you are protecting your hearing aids from the cold and wet, especially when it gets to fall and the weather starts turning. So, let’s look at some of the major things you will need to think about to ensure you continue looking after them effectively.

How Does the Cold Affect Hearing Aids?

You might want to know just why it’s important, and how it is that the cold weather affects a hearing aid. Generally, when hearing aids are exposed to the cold for a long period of time, especially extreme cold temperatures, it can reduce the lifespan of the device, just as can happen with any electrical item. Largely, this is due to the moisture that is caused by cold weather. You want to try and keep your hearing aids as dry as possible, and that can be harder to do in the colder parts of the year.

Use Dehumidifiers

Because you are trying to primarily keep your hearing aids from being wet, you might want to simply look into using a dehumidifier. This draws moisture out of the air and the device, helping to keep it dry. It can be a really good idea to have one of these in the home – or more than one, if necessary – and you can even get a dehumidifier specifically that is designed for this purpose. Having one of those will certainly help to keep the hearing aid as dry as possible even as the weather turns cold and wet.

Wear Sweatbands

Because sweat can cause a similar problem, you might want to think about wearing sweatbands as well. These can help to catch the sweat, as well as any condensation brought about by the cold weather, and that can mean that your hearing aid is going to last longer and stay drier. You might even want to try earmuffs too, which can have a useful insulating effect for the device and protecting it from moisture buildup.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Clean

You should be doing this at all times of year, but it might prove especially important in the fall once it starts getting cold and wet in the air. Thoroughly cleaning your hearing aids on a daily basis is vital for ensuring that they will last a long time. And you should make sure that you are using a dry cloth in order to do this. You can also open the battery compartment door, to air out any excess moisture you did not get with a dry cloth.

If you are outside all day, make sure to clean out your hearing aid as dirt and debris can buildup in your hearing aid. Your audiologist will explain how to take care of your hearing aids properly and may recommend a case to store your hearing aids in at night.

Be Careful with Outdoor Activities

While you should be able to use your hearing aids whenever you need them, there are also some circumstances where you might find it is best not to. This would include, for instance, when you are engaging in sports or other outdoor activities which are going to be particularly likely to cause damage, perhaps because of the moist environments that these are often held in. If you are participating in sports, think about storing your hearing aids in a protective case, to keep them from falling out or being damaged.

Dry Hearing Aids Overnight

At night, you should take your hearing aids out and store them properly in their case. And if necessary, you should try and dry them overnight, as that is a good opportunity to do so. This will help ensure that they can have a longer lifespan. Your audiologist will explain how to properly care for your hearing aids to make sure you have a better quality of life.

To learn more about how to protect your hearing aids, or to schedule an appointment with an audiologist, contact the Hearing Wellness Centre on (844) 663-9433.