Summer Maintenance Tips for Your Hearing Aids

Welcome Summer! While the chilly weather can present some challenges to hearing aid wearers, so can the warm weather. Remember, Hearing Consultants maintains an extensive supply of parts, cleaning tools, and specialized equipment for your hearing aid repair and maintenance needs. But we want you to enjoy the summer, so here are some tips for keeping your hearing device in tip-top shape no matter what the temperature or activity you want to be involved in.

Sound issues?

With the change in temperature, there can be moisture and perspiration issues with your hearing aids. If you think the quality of sound is changing and there are issues with how they are functioning with other devices – give us a call and bring them in for a check-up. Most times a simple cleaning or perhaps a little bit of an equipment change is the answer.

Avoid water damage

If you are an avid swimmer or enjoy activities near the water, it is best to remove your hearing aids. Saltwater especially is dangerous. When saltwater dries, it can leave crystals on your hearing aids and they can cause permanent damage. Avoid areas near the pool where you can be splashed, like near the diving board if your hearing aids are still in. Keep your hearing aids in a waterproof case if you are lying on the beach or near the pool to avoid water damage.

Golf, tennis, gardening, mowing the lawn, attending a barbecue – all great summer activities. But participating in these activities will likely mean a little bit of perspiration. Perspiration can lead to moisture buildup on your hearing aids. This moisture can damage microphones, receivers, and corrode battery contact points. High constant humidity can also wreak havoc on hearing aids just like perspiration.

If your hearing aids don’t have nano-coating which repels dirt and moisture, that might be something to think about for a future purchase. If you are planning on hitting the pool or the beach for some serious swim time – see us about custom swim molds tailored for your hearing devices. Another great investment is a dehumidifying unit, which helps your hearing aids stay dry and moisture-free.

Prevent clogging

Keep your hearing aids away from any form of debris. Sand, sunscreen, bug spray, tanning lotion, conditioning spray you put on your hair while outside and all forms of allergens can damage hearing aids. Greasy, sticky parts of spray or lotion can clog the microphones, tubing, and other important parts of your hearing devices. Bits of seeds, pollen, and vegetation floating around outside will do the same thing. Pollen and tiny plant cells needed to fertilize plants float around in the air and can clog microphone parts as can mold spores. Ragweed can also clog hearing aid parts and cause the devices to start to malfunction.

Never touch your hearing aids if your hands are sandy or have lotion or spray on them. Remove your devices before applying lotion or spray. Don’t wear them if you are lying on a sandy beach. Sure, you may be absolutely positive you aren’t going to touch them, but you have no control over a breeze kicking up the sand.

Clean the microphone parts with a soft dry cloth to avoid clogs or damage to your devices. If there are still sound quality issues, clogged parts can be cleaned or replaced at Hearing Consultants.

Heat is not your friend

Keep your hearing aids away from extreme heat. This means if you remove them to go swimming or lay on the beach, they need to go in the shade – not a hot vehicle! The plastic casing on your hearing devices can melt under direct sunlight. Heat will also damage the batteries and can cause shorting out or even battery failure. Always store your aids in a cool, dry space.

Protect your hearing aids

Soft, hard, and/or waterproof cases are available for your specific type of hearing devices from the manufacturer, and we can help you order what you need. Remember if you start to notice a drop in sound quality from your hearing aids and you’ve cleaned them, they should be serviced right away. Leaving grit or grease on areas you can see will continue to damage them. Cleaning, maintenance, extra batteries, Hearing Consultants can help with all those things, so you can keep enjoying your summer activities.