Hearing aids
and their batteries can be damaged by cold weather and moisture. This is because temperature changes can cause condensation to occur which damages its internal components.
Signs of Moisture Damage
Moisture may ruin your hearing aids’ microphone and receiver. It can also clog its earmold tubing, resulting in corrosion. You’ll know that you need hearing aids maintenance in a few different ways including:
- They’ll cut out during a loud noise
- The sound will fade in and out
- Static punctuates everything you hear
- Sounds seem unclear, even distorted
- Your hearing aid will suddenly stop working then start again
Hearing Aids Maintenance Tips
Before you get too concerned that your hearing aids malfunctioning you should know there are some hearing aids maintenance tips you can follow, including:
- Make sure your hearing aids are turned on
- Make sure the batteries are new and properly inserted
- Clean the battery contacts with dry cotton swabs
- Make sure the air molds aren’t clogged with wax
It’s also a good idea to know what to do when and if moisture does get into your hearing aids. Of course, this depends on the type of hearing aids you wear. Some tips here include:
- If you wear what is known as BTE hearing aids (ones that are placed behind your ears) you should check inside their tubing for droplets of moisture.
- If you wear earmolds you may want to consider buying an earmold puffer. This is a device that’s responsible for blowing out any moisture that may have gotten into them. You may also want to think about having your earmolds fitted with a tube that disperses any moisture that gets into your hearing aids.
- If you have ITE (in-the-ear) hearing aids removing moisture will be a little trickier. You can buy available drying devices. With these, you simply place your hearing aids in it as soon as you notice that they may have moisture in them. Hopefully, this will dry them out and prevent any damage from happening.
Preventive Tips for Cold Weather Hearing Aid Maintenance
Although it’s difficult to avoid moisture when it’s cold outside, there are some precautions you should take to keep your hearing aids dry including:
- Wear earmuffs. They’re not just for keeping your ears warm anymore. Now you can buy specialized ones whose sole purpose is to protect your ears from noise damage. This is important even if you already wear hearing aids because your hearing has been damaged. The nice thing about these is that they’re not just for winter. They’ll keep the noise at a safe level at any time of the year, regardless of what you’re doing.
- Buy sweatbands to wear at any time you’re working up a sweat. They’re also great when you don’t know if you’ll get caught outside in a rainstorm. By wearing sweatbands you’ll be able to minimize the amount of moisture that gets behind your ears whether from perspiration or precipitation. This is especially important if you wear BTE hearing aids. Since they’re relatively inexpensive and come in various colors and sizes you can even look stylish while wearing them.
- Buy a drying kit or dehumidifier for your hearing aids. This is one of those hearing aids maintenance tips that you must remember to do nightly. Simply place your hearing aids and their batteries therein every night. Some of these will even double as a sanitation unit for your hearing aids while you store them in there at night.
- Make sure you always use an umbrella or wear a raincoat with a hood when it’s raining outside.
For more hearing aids maintenance tips or help with your hearing-related health concerns contact Countryside Hearing Aids Services in Clearwater, FL.
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