Summer may allow for trips to the beach and warm days to travel outdoors, but the fall and winter seasons also provide countless opportunities to have fun and create memories! To those who find the scorching heat of summer unbearable, the chilling weather of fall and winter will welcome you with open arms.
However, although there’s much to love about fall and winter, they could take a toll on your hearing aids. If you don’t take the proper precautions, you may not be able to celebrate the end of the year with functioning hearing aids!
To ensure a good hearing experience during the colder seasons, follow our hearing aid care tips below:
1. Use Plug-In Dehumidifiers
The cold weather is not good for your hearing aids, mainly because they cause condensation. Like how glasses steam up when you enter a warm place after spending time in the cold, your hearing aids are also prone to condensation due to an extreme change in temperature.
However, unlike glasses that you can wipe as soon as you see condensation accumulating, this is difficult to do with hearing aids. Since you won’t notice the condensation accumulating in your hearing aids, the dampness could damage your microphone and receiver and even get inside the battery compartment.
To avoid damaging your hearing aids because of condensation, we suggest using plug-i dehumidifiers and drying boxes. All you have to do is leave your devices with the battery compartment open to dry out overnight. Remember to remove the hearing aid and batteries from their compartments so that air can circulate inside.
2. Cover Your Head
As we get nearer to the end of the year, the weather will grow even colder. As such, it’s crucial to wear the necessary attire to stay cozy and dry. However, when you have to wear hearing aids, your hat or hood could cause feedback because it’s too close to the microphone on your hearing aid.
No one wants to hear a high-pitched whistling noise every time they wear something on their head, but not covering your head isn’t an option either because of the harsh weather conditions. If your hair or hats have been preventing you from hearing the sounds you want to hear, you can instead opt for chunky-knit, close-fitting hats or headbands!
Unlike other hats, a head covering that fits snugly and doesn’t move about will cause significantly fewer feedback issues. You can also use a dome-shaped, transparent umbrella instead of a hat to protect yourself from the wind, rain and have better visibility without worrying about hearing aid feedback.
3. Wear Protective Hearing Aid Gear
The best and newest hearing aids in the market have impressive features, such as noise-canceling, to ensure a great hearing experience regardless of the season. With the noise-canceling feature, your hearing aids can block out the noise of the wind and other sounds that could be a pain to hear.
However, not everyone uses the most advanced hearing aids—many still use some types of hearing aids that can’t block the noise of the wind. If your hearing aids don’t have a noise-canceling feature, you can use a hearing aid sleeve or cover to protect them from dirt, sweat, and moisture and minimize the wind noise.
Conclusion
The fall and winter seasons may pose a few dangers to your hearing aids, but this doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy the colder months while also being able to hear! All it takes is regular care and maintenance to ensure that your hearing aids work well all year round. As long as you follow our guide, you’re sure to have a fun time during the colder months!
If you’ve been considering getting hearing aids, don’t hesitate to visit one of the best hearing clinics in Massachusetts, Hear More Associates! We will work with you to understand your unique circumstances, lifestyle, budget, and what you want from your hearing aids to help you find the suitable hearing device. Schedule an appointment today!