When the temperature starts creeping up in Manasses, you might pull out a few fans, turn your AC on and swap your long-sleeved shirts for t-shirts to stay comfortable. Just as you adjust your routine and wardrobe for warmer weather, it’s important to make a few changes to keep your hearing aids comfortable and performing at their best in the heat.
Don’t Forget Nightly Cleanings
Cleaning your hearing aids nightly will not only help them perform better but also make them more comfortable. A buildup of earwax, sweat and dirt can irritate your ears and increase the risk of bacteria and ear infections. To improve hearing aid comfort:
- Use a wax pick and brush to remove wax from the seams of your devices
- Wipe your devices with a soft cloth
- Run a vent cleaner through the vents
- Change the wax filters if necessary
- If applicable, remove the earmolds and tubing and wash them in soapy water
Setting an alarm each night to remind you to clean your hearing aids is a helpful way to ensure you don’t skip a cleaning in your busy summer schedule.
Watch Out for Moisture
The combination of muggy weather and extra sweating can expose your hearing aids to extra moisture, increasing the risk of performance issues and making them feel uncomfortable in your ears. You can remove moisture nightly by placing your hearing aids in a specialized electric dehumidifier or a desiccant-drying jar.
You can also reduce moisture accumulation by wearing a sweatband during outdoor exercise to catch sweat before it reaches your ears.
Don’t Skip Professional Cleanings
Hearing aids could benefit as many as 28.8 million U.S. adults.[1] For all the clear speech and background awareness they offer, you probably want to take the best care of them you can. Another way to care for your devices is to schedule regular professional cleanings.
Professional cleanings give us the opportunity to deep-clean your devices and check that their settings still meet your needs. If it’s been a while since your last cleaning, call us at ENT Specialists Of Northern Virginia to schedule an appointment with one of our hearing aid specialists.
[1] National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2024). Quick statistics about hearing, balance, & dizziness. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing