Here are some things that you should know about how humidity can affect your hearing aid.
Your hearing aids are devices that contain a lot of delicate parts that work together to give you the best sound quality. As you can imagine, there are several things that can negatively impact the function for your hearing aid once they get into the machinery. In particular, moisture and humidity can be a big culprit. Here are some things that you should know about how humidity can affect your hearing aid.
How Humidity Works
Humidity, the phenomenon of water dispersed through the air, comes in various forms, but it is mostly affected by the weather. Whether it is a hot day or a cold one, a sudden temperature change can cause condensation from water evaporating and cooling quickly. The tricky thing about humidity is that water will gather on the slick surface of your hearing aids because it is different from your skin which can normally absorb a small amount of water. Even if you’re prone to sweating often, you can run the risk of getting moisture in your hearing aids. Once enough moisture collects it can start to damage the hearing aid by rusting and corroding different parts of it and making it harder to hear when using it. Sometimes it is simply a matter of changing the battery, but in a worst case scenario you might have to replace the entire hearing aid.
How to Prevent
The best thing you can do is talk to your audiologist about hearing aids that can resist humidity. In fact, there is a specific water resistance rating called an IP rating, for hearing aids that are designed to withstand more humidity through a water-resistant nanocoating. This can be helpful for people who live in humid and rainy climates. If you’re a person who likes to exercise a lot when wearing hearing aids, then you don’t have to forgo wearing them entirely. There are many hearing aid friendly sweatbands on the market that will allow you to comfortably exercise without worry of getting sweat into your hearing aid. This way, you can go for a run outdoors while staying aware of your surroundings. Otherwise the best way to extend the life of your hearing aids is to remove them whenever you’re in a high moisture situation, from indoor workouts to even cooking.
Contact Bay Area Audiology Today!
Ready to change the way you look at hearing loss? Our Doctor of Audiology, Dr. Trisha A. Bents Muth, is exceptionally experienced in the art of audiology, and is dedicated to providing the absolute best solutions. Bay Area Audiology has been working to give patients a comfortable environment, with thorough evaluations. We are independently owned, and unbiased when it comes to finding you the care you need.
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