Can Warm Weather Impact Your Hearing Aid Performance?

If you have to wear hearing aids, you have to be aware of many different factors. You need to ensure that the batteries are charged and that they are free of earwax and moisture, as well as a number of other things. One thing you may need to pay attention to is the weather. Warm weather can negatively affect hearing aids as high heat can damage the internal components. Additionally, during hot weather, you need to be extra vigilant as your hearing aids are more likely to come into contact with some kind of moisture.

How Does High Heat Affect Hearing Aids

Heat can damage your hearing aids in a number of ways. In hot weather, any plastic used, such as the casing, can melt or warp out of shape and heat can damage the internal electronics and cause them to stop functioning effectively. Heat can even affect the batteries by reducing their lifespan. In the normal run of things, hearing aids are protected against strong, direct sunlight as they are designed to be worn behind the ear. But that does not mean that they are always protected. On some days, even in the shade, it can reach high temperatures, so you need to try and reduce their exposure to very warm temperatures.

What Constitutes Too Hot?

One of the most important things to be aware of is leaving your hearing aids out in direct sunlight. This is when they are likely to be exposed to the highest temperatures. If you are at the pool, always remember to protect them. Another place where high temperatures are likely to occur is in the car when you have no shade. Don’t leave them behind. Another thing to consider is if your hearing aids do get wet due to you sweating on them or them getting splashed by the pool, do not use a hair dryer to dry them off. This is far too hot for them.

What Risks are Common During the Warm Weather?

In the summer, you are likely to come up against many situations that are potentially damaging to your hearing aids. Mainly they are direct sunlight, sweating, beaches, swimming pools and using sunscreen. Aside from heat and moisture, in these scenarios, it is easy to see how your hearing aid could get clogged up, namely with sunscreen and sweat. You need to be very careful and protect them as best you can.

How Can You Protect Your Hearing Aids

You need to take a proactive approach to protect them. You cannot wing it and hope for the best. So, take your hearing aid case with you and always keep them in the shade, in a cool, dry place. Clean your hands before you take your hearing aids out. If they do happen to get wet, then open the battery door and use a dry cloth to wipe them. Your hearing health professional will be able to show you how to clean your hearing aids properly.