Hearing Aid Tips for Spring Break
Whether your plans are to visit the warm beaches of Florida or hit the slopes in Colorado, taking a vacation to a climate with either cold and moist weather or warm and humid weather can take a toll on your hearing aids. To help you prepare for whatever your Spring Break plans are, we have put together a list of preventative steps you can take to protect your hearing aids during your vacation.
First, how does moist or humid weather impact hearing aids?
Temperature extremes (cold or hot) can damage hearing aids and batteries. It’s not necessarily the temperature, but when condensation occurs during significant temperature changes that can damage the many delicate parts of a hearing aid. If you are outside skiing and you are bundled up in warm winter clothing, and then decide to take a break and go inside, you will probably have a 50-degree difference between the outside and inside temperature. The same goes for lounging beachside and then going indoors to cool off, your hearing aids will experience a big change, and condensation can form on and inside your hearing aids.
How can you tell if your hearing aids have damage?
There are a few things you can be aware of to determine if your hearing aids experienced any condensation damage:
Your hearing aids stop working during loud sounds
Certain sounds fade in or out
Sounds are no longer clear
You hear static with certain sounds
Your hearing aid stops and then starts several times
Are there ways to prevent my hearing aids from moisture damage on vacation?
The good news is that there are a few precautions you can take to prevent any moisture damage:
If you are traveling to a cold climate, wear earmuffs when outside. This will keep your ears warm during walks outside or playtime in the snow.
If you are traveling to a warm climate, make sure to remove your hearing aids during swimming, and if you are out walking or jogging on the beach, then wear a sweatband around your head so sweat doesn’t enter your ears. They even make hearing aid sweatbands specifically for these situations!
Purchase a hearing aid dryer that you can take while on vacation. Hearing aid dryers specifically help to remove moisture from your hearing aids. Each night you should store them in the device, so they are ready for use by the morning.
If it’s raining, use an umbrella or wear a waterproof hood to keep your hearing aids dry.
If you know your hearing aid has gotten wet, remove the battery to prevent any damage.
At Sound Hearing Care, we can help keep your hearing aids in excellent condition! We offer hearing aid cleaning and adjustments to all of our patients. Contact us today at 864-881-1663 to schedule an appointment. We have four convenient locations in Simpsonville, Greer, Travelers Rest, and Greenville.
Have a fun and safe Spring Break!
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