Winter in Portland means shorter daylight hours and more rain. If you’re a hearing aid user, you know that you need to keep water away from your hearing aids, but there’s not much you can do about the rain. 28.8 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids, so let’s cover some basic hearing aid protection and care for the rainy season.
Moisture and Hearing Aids
Water damage can happen with any amount of moisture, not just if you accidentally submerge your hearing aids in water. Water can damage electrical components, corrode the battery, cause the tubing to crack and break and cause your hearing aids to short-circuit or malfunction. If your hearing aids have sustained moisture damage, you may notice decreased sound quality, muffled or distorted sound, sudden volume changes, increased feedback, battery life issues or your hearing aids dying suddenly.
Can Rain Damage Hearing Aids?
If you’re out running errands and get caught in a drizzle, your hearing aids will probably survive a couple of raindrops while you dash from your car to the store. Being in heavy rain or outside for an extended period may cause issues. In general, be wary of how moisture can accumulate, and rainy days can cause this to happen.
How Can I Protect My Hearing Aids from the Rain?
While you’re in the rain, make an effort to keep your hearing aids out of the rain. Using a hat, jacket with a hood or an umbrella will keep a lot of rain out of your ears and face. If you’re in a rush and forgot a jacket, you can even cover your hearing aids with your hands. We recommend keeping an extra jacket or hat in your car as a contingency measure against rain.
Also, throughout the rainy season, we recommend drying your hearing aids in a hearing aid drying kit overnight every night. This will absorb most of the moisture that your hearing aids catch throughout the day, and this is especially important during rainy weather.
If you notice any issues with sound quality or battery life, take your hearing aids to see a specialist as soon as possible. We can assess whether your hearing aids have any moisture damage and, in some cases, perform service and maintenance or send them to the manufacturer for repair. Call us today to schedule a service appointment and keep your hearing aids in good working order throughout the rainy season.
