Hearing Aid Hazards: The 3 Biggest Culprits for Damage

Hearing aids can transform our lives for the better, whether through improved relationships or through richer, more fulfilling experiences of the world around us. Hearing is an important part of how we interact with the world, and the better our hearing the happier we become.

Since our hearing aids are so important to our health and well-being, it’s important to care for our hearing aids as we would our most prized possessions. Like many electronics, hearing aids are as delicate as they are complex. Normal environments might be hazardous to our hearing aids, so it’s important to know what these environments might be.

In order to keep your hearing aids in top operation, here’s what you should know about hearing aids and common causes of damage and malfunction.

1. Dust, Dirt and Sand

It’s hard to avoid dust, dirt and sand entirely in our every day lives, especially if we are active and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, no matter how rough and tumble a hearing aid wearer might be, our hearing aids might not be able to keep up. Dust, dirt and sand can cause irreparable damage to our aids if we aren’t careful.

Dust and dirt can find its way into the delicate inner-workings of our aids and cause damage. It’s a good idea to leave your aids in a safe and clean place for storage if we plan to be somewhere that dust and dirt might be higher than usual. But if you’re a more active type that’s regularly outdoors, certain aids are designed to resist dust and dirt with special casings. Ask your hearing aid specialist about these types of hearing aids for active lifestyles.

2. Sweat and Moisture

We all know that water can cause major damage to our hearing aids, but many of us don’t know just how easy it is to find your hearing aids with water damage. That’s because moisture can come from more than just swimming pools. Environments with misters or sprinklers, or places where we are more likely to sweat can cause water and moisture to find its way into our aids.

Unless you have special water-resistant and waterproof hearing aids, it’s a good idea to avoid wearing our aids in places where we might sweat or experience very high humidity. This is especially important during the summer, when we are more likely to be around water!

3. Heat

Even more damaging than moisture is heat – even when we don’t expect it. Heat can happen in a lot of ways, and its often the most unexpected hearing aid hazard we find ourselves falling victim to. 

Prolonged direct sunlight, storing aids within hot cars and even being outside during very hot weather can all cause major damage to our hearing aids. It’s also a common pitfall to try to dry our hearing aids using a hot hair dryer or an oven when they get wet – which can cause more damage than the water itself! 

It’s a good idea to stay aware of storage and care of your aids, and avoid areas where heat might become excessive. Store in shaded and cool areas (not near windows or within hot cars), and dry out wet hearing aids using a fan or hair dryer on a cool setting to avoid damage by heat.

Curious what you could be doing to protect the function of your hearing aids? Talk to our team about hearing aid maintenance, or about finding a hearing aid that can keep up with your unique lifestyle. Contact us for a hearing test, a consultation or a follow-up about your aids!

OC Physicians’ Hearing Services

Locations in Mission Viejo, Irvine, San Clemente, Laguna Beach and Laguna Hills

Call us to schedule: 949- 364-4361