Proper care of hearing aids is vital to your overall hearing experience. Making sure that they are properly cleaned, equipped with working batteries, and free from unwanted moisture are all important steps in maintaining the reliability and longevity of your hearing aids.
In particular, exposure to moisture and extreme humidity can damage your hearing aid and cause it to malfunction. However even if you’re aware about the danger in getting hearing aids wet, accidents still happen.
Maybe you forgot to take your hearing aids out before you hopped in the shower or went for a swim? Perhaps you managed to get caught in a rare Nevada rainstorm walking through Idlewild Park, or worse you fell into the Truckee River during your walk!
Whatever the situation, it’s important to know exactly what to do when your hearing aids do get wet so that you can take care of the problem right away and prevent permanent damage.
Ways to Keep Your Hearing Aids Dry
High quality hearing aids are designed to not let water in easily, but it’s still important to make sure you’re keeping them dry so they will work better and last longer.
One of the best ways to dry your hearing aids is by using drying boxes or dehumidifiers.
Drying boxes
Drying boxes are small boxes that use air and heat to dry hearing aids. You place the hearing aids in the box, close and press start, and your hearing aids will dry for 45 minutes to 8 hours depending on need.
There are drying boxes for both conventional as well as rechargeable hearing aids which makes them an easy option for all hearing aid users.
Non-electric options
In addition to drying boxes, you can also use non-electric dehumidifiers or desiccants to dry your hearing aids. These often come in the form of pellets or discs and are a great option if you are somewhere without an available outlet for a drying box or without accessible electricity.
Prevention
To help prevent water or humidity from getting into the hearing aid in the first place you can try a water-resistant hearing aid pouch or sleeve.
To learn more about caring for your hearing aids if they get wet, or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, contact LeMay Hearing & Balance today.