Protecting Your Hearing Aids against Heat, Humidity, and Water Damage

Throughout the year weather can be a risk to your hearing aids. Whether hanging out at the pool or beach, playing sports, or exploring a new place on vacation, the heat — and sweat caused by it — can be a problem.

But there are ways to protect your hearing aids from the three H’s: heat, humidity, and H2O. Learn how you can keep your hearing aids safe in hot weather.

Protecting your hearing aids

Whatever activities you plan, there are quite a few potential risks to your hearing aids. These risks can be avoided by taking some precautions. Consider the following ways to take care of your hearing aids in the heat.

• Avoid leaving your hearing aids in the car. Your car can get very hot (especially in the summer) one study found that after an hour in 95-degree weather the inside of your car can reach an average of 116 degrees.
• Have a storage case. While you might be accustomed to stashing your hearing aids anywhere that seems safe, you could likely benefit from a designated storage case. Such a case will protect your hearing aids from sand and water, which is crucial in some environments (like going to the beach or camping).
• Don’t leave your hearing aids in the sun. You should definitely remove your hearing aids if you plan on taking a swim, but leaving them in the sun isn’t much better.
• Clean your hearing aids after use. Your ears and hearing aids will collect quite a bit of sweat. Make sure to wipe down and clean your hearing aids at the end of the day.
• Dry your ears after swimming. After a swim, double-check your ears before putting your hearing aids back in. Tip your head to either side, dry your ears with a towel, and use an alcohol solution to get out any lingering water.
• Get a dehumidifier. With the heat and humidity, simply air-drying your hearing aids overnight might not be enough. Dehumidifiers can be a good way to make sure your hearing aids stay moisture-free. Just drop them in at the end of the use.
• Get your hearing aids professionally cleaned. After any big trip or close encounter with water or sand, consider taking your hearing aids to your hearing care professional for some special care. In other words: have a professional check them over and clean them for you. If there’s sand or water damage present, they’ll know what to do.

Water-resistant does not mean Waterproof!

There is no such thing as a truly waterproof hearing aid. However, hearing aids can be water-resistant. Such hearing aids can protect against water damage and are more durable. Still, that doesn’t mean you should expose them to danger if you can help it.

For example, if you take a shower while wearing your hearing aids, they should be fine. However, a long dip in the pool or beach excursion might result in some damage. Water-repellent coatings and lithium-ion batteries make your hearing aids more durable, but they don’t make them impervious. Full immersion in water can destroy hearing aids.

Choosing a summer-safe hearing aid

If you’ve just been diagnosed with hearing loss, or want to upgrade your hearing aids, you might be looking into water-resistant options. Signia/Siemens has a lot of options for dust and water resistance. Our lineup includes quite a few water-resistant hearing aids. In fact, every Signia/Siemens hearing aid includes a hydrophobic coating. This repels water and dirt from getting into your hearing aids. While this won’t stop all forms of water damage, it can protect against sweat and grime. Combined with protective filters over the microphones and receivers, your hearing aid will last a long time if you’re careful.

Many people, especially adventurous types, want a hearing aid that can keep up with them. We at Signia/Siemens aim to meet those expectations.