Hearing Aids in the Israeli Summer: Heat, Sweat, Beach and Pool

Why summer is hard on hearing aids

Long, hot summers, humid coastal air, the beach, the pool and air-conditioned rooms with hot streets outside: daily life in Israel from spring to autumn puts hearing aids through a lot. Hearing aids are small electronic devices worn against warm skin, and two things wear on them more than anything else in summer: heat and moisture.

The US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) puts it simply: keep hearing aids away from heat and moisture. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) adds that most hearing aids cannot be exposed to significant moisture.

The good news is that a few habits make a real difference.

Heat: the car, the sun and the windowsill

Philips warns that very hot temperatures and direct sunlight can damage hearing aids and even melt their plastic casing. Its advice:

• Don't leave hearing aids in a hot car. A parked car in an Israeli summer gets very hot very quickly. Take the case with you.
• Keep them out of direct sunlight when you are not wearing them. A sunny windowsill, a car dashboard or a beach towel in the sun are all poor places to leave them.
• Mind the charger too. For its rechargeable hearing aids, Philips says to keep the charger in an environment between +15°C and +35°C. Check the guidance for your own charger, and keep it somewhere shaded and not next to a hot window.

Sweat and humidity

Philips notes that hearing aids collect moisture from the skin, and advises being especially aware during summer or after sports, when we all sweat more.

A simple routine:

1. Wipe the hearing aids with a soft, dry cloth when you take them out.
2. Check for moisture and dry them in an airy place, a charger or a hearing-aid dryer, as Philips suggests.
3. Battery models: Philips advises opening the battery drawer for better drying if your hearing aids use disposable batteries.
4. Overnight is the natural drying time, because the devices are out of your ears anyway.

Philips explains that it is important to minimise hearing aids' contact with water and to make sure they are dried regularly.

If you exercise outdoors, ask whether a hearing-aid dryer or retention accessories would help your routine. See accessories and connectivity.

Sunscreen, hairspray and insect repellent

Summer means sunscreen and mosquito repellent. Philips advises removing hearing aids before applying cosmetic products and allowing time for them to dry before putting the hearing aids back. It notes that sunscreen can contain chemicals that damage the plastic casing.

NIDCD also advises avoiding hairspray or other hair-care products while wearing hearing aids.

The order that works: hearing aids out, sunscreen and repellent on, wash and dry your hands, wait a few minutes, hearing aids back in.

The beach and the pool

• Take them out before swimming or showering. Philips advises removing hearing aids in the shower or when swimming.
• Sand: Philips advises avoiding touching hearing aids with sandy hands, because sand can block the microphone ports.
• Storage at the beach: keep the hearing aids in their closed case, in a bag in the shade, never loose on a towel.
• Water sports: if you want ear protection for swimming itself, G-Sound offers custom earplugs made to the shape of your ear. These are separate from hearing aids.

Summer travel days

On a summer trip, pack a small kit: the case, the charger and cable or spare batteries, spare domes and filters, a soft cloth and a drying container if you use one. If something goes wrong while you are travelling in Israel, see hearing-aid problems while visiting Israel.

Signs of moisture trouble

Moisture can show up as sound that cuts in and out, crackling, weak sound or a device that stops working. First:

• Dry the hearing aids as above and leave them in the charger or dryer overnight.
• Replace the wax filter and dome if your model uses them. See how to clean hearing aids.
• Restart the device.

If the problem continues, contact G-Sound with the make, model and what happened. G-Sound offers Philips and Oticon hearing aids; if your device is from another brand, mention it. See hearing-aid repair and service in Israel.

Ear pain or discharge after swimming or in hot weather is a medical question. See a doctor rather than treating it as a hearing-aid problem.