You may notice that your hearing aids are exposed to water when it is too late. For example, find out when you are already in a steam room, or caught up in heavy rain. Other people sweat a lot, and others simply love water sports or work in a wet environment. Although most brands offer water-resistant hearing aids, they may not be waterproof and experience problems if exposed to water or moisture. Read on to know what to do If your hearing aids get wet and how to protect them from rain, moisture, and sweat.
Can I wear my hearing aids in the rain?
Most of the newer hearing aids are water resistant, so it is very likely that you can wear your hearing aids on a rainy day. If this is heavy rain then you need to have an umbrella over your head in any way that will protect your hearing aids to some extent anyway.
What to do if my hearing aids get wet?
If you accidentally dropped your hearing aids in the water you immediately remove them and dry them with clean soft tissue. If they are battery-operated you need to open the battery compartment and remove the battery too. Use a cotton bud to clean all the water and moisture from the battery compartment. Avoid reusing a battery that has been exposed to a lot of moisture.
Use a Dehumidifier or a Stay Dry Box - If you are exposed to a wet environment on a daily basis you could keep a dehumidifier box or a Stay Dry box handy. Keep the hearing aids in the dehumidifier or a Stay Dry box after carefully cleaning from the outside and the inside of the battery compartment. Do not keep the battery in the dehumidifier box.
Use rice - In case you do not have a hearing aid dehumidifier or you have run out of desiccant, do not panic. Rice is a very good desiccant; you can insert the hearing aid into a packet of uncooked rice. Leave the hearing aids in the rice overnight, the rice will absorb the moisture. Ensure that dust and rice particles do not get into the hearing aid.
Still not working? Send your hearing aids for repair to HearingNow in London.
What is a hearing aid dehumidifier?
A dehumidifier is a small container that helps remove moisture from your hearing aids. People who live or work in very humid places or the ones with a lot of sweating might benefit from one for their hearing aids. There are two types of dehumidifiers. The electric dehumidifier for hearing aids is more effective. Some of the dehumidifiers blow warm air, this helps the warm dry air to reach the inner parts of the hearing aid and dry the moisture.
The basic non-electrical dehumidifiers use desiccants. Desiccants are substances that absorb moisture.
Can I use a hair dryer for drying wet hearing aids?
You can use a hairdryer if hearing aids get wet in the rain. But, under no circumstances use the hairdryer on the maximum hot air setting. Though some dehumidifiers blow hot air into the hearing aids, the air temperature is much lower than the air blown by the commercially available hairdryer. In case you want to use a hairdryer, it should be at the minimum hot air setting. If the air is too hot it can damage the delicate hearing aid parts.
Can I swim with my water-resistant hearing aids?
It is not advisable to use water-resistant hearing aids while swimming or while having a shower. These hearing aids can be comfortably used in normal rain and sweat situations. You do not have to panic and remove your water-resistant hearing aids if you are unexpectedly caught in the rain. However, it is still advisable to clean and dry them after you reach home.
What are waterproof hearing aids?
Waterproof hearing aids are a step ahead of water-resistant hearing aids. The design of the hearing aid housing is such that there are no gaps or openings for the water to get in. Waterproof hearing aids might be a wise choice of hearing aid for people with a lot of sweating, or those into water sports and water activities e.g. water-ski, canoeing, white water rafting, fishermen, lifeguards, etc. Phonak Paradise Life is the very first 100% waterproof hearing aid that was introduced to the market in the summer of 2022.
Update, October 2023: Starkey released Starkey Genesis which by design claimed to be waterproof. Please read our full review of Starkey Genesis, its features and its price range in this article.
Can I swim with My waterproof hearing aids?
Technically speaking you may swim if your hearing aids are waterproof but the waterproof hearing aids are designed to simply be more resilient to water and wet environments and are not designed to be used for diving. The depth of the water at which they perform without getting damaged depends on the hearing aid IP rating or Ingress Protection rating. Refer to the user manual or consult your dispenser to know the hearing aid IP rating of the model you own.
What does the IP67 or IP68 hearing aid IP rating mean?
IP means Ingress Protection, the protection rating of your hearing aid against dust particles and water. The first numerical digit conveys the degree of protection from dust particles. The second numerical digit in the hearing aid IP rating conveys the degree of protection from water.
What is the IP67 hearing aid IP rating? The number “6” in the hearing aid IP rating means that your hearing aid has 100% protection against dust particles. 6 is the maximum score for dust protection. 7 indicates that your hearing aid can be underwater for not more than 30 minutes up to a maximum depth of 1 meter.
What is the IP68 hearing aid IP rating? 8 rating: Water protection, 60 minutes at one-meter depth. The number 8 indicates that your hearing aid can be underwater for not more than 60 minutes up to a maximum depth of 1 meter.
I have a pair of expensive hearing aids, how do I insure my hearing aids?
Please see this link for more guidance on hearing aid insurance.
Have unanswered questions about water-resistant and waterproof hearing aids? Please do not hesitate to contact us. We do repair and reprogramming of hearing aids of all brands in London. We are official representatives of Signia, Widex, Phonak, Oticon, Resound and Starkey hearing aids in the UK.
