The weather is changing...spring is in the air. Weather changes bring many things. People start to get more active outdoors as well as in groups. Humidity will increase and so will the need to cool down with some air conditioning.
If you wear hearing instruments then this change in season can give you a little bit of trouble. Humidity is not really anyone’s friend and that goes especially true for hearing instruments. You may perspire or you may be someone who drips with sweat. Either way, the moisture can seep down into the hearing instrument and start a corrosion cycle. Sweat does not have to be dripping for a corrosion cycle to start damaging your hearing instruments. Just a normal day of activities can put your hearing instruments to the test. For example; you start off your day drinking coffee in the comfort of your air conditioned living room. Next, you
Walk outside into the morning humidity to head to the golf course or to work. Once inside the car, you crank on the cold air...arriving at your destination you hop out into the hot humid air and head inside the air conditioning again. All day long, your hearing instruments are collecting moisture and attempting to dry out.
During the day and in the midst of our luscious humidity cycle, you also need your hearing instruments to keep working. They need to keep amplifying speech so that you can enjoy your activities with your friends and family. Newer hearing instruments have great moisture coating on them. Not all moisture coating is created equal. Most of the time it is not the moisture that is the issue. It is the SALT from the sweat. The salt starts the corrosion cycle.
So a few helpful tips to help your hearing instruments survive the humidity of spring. Wipe off your hearing instruments daily. Turn them upside down and brush off the microphone openings. (This is where sound enters your hearing instruments). If you perspire heavily and your hearing instrument moisture coating is not doing the job then your hearing instruments may shut down due to the build up of moisture. If this happens while you are out and about...turn the heat on in your car and hold the instruments up to the vents and let the air blow on them to facilitate drying. You can use cold air but it may not totally dry the insides out. If the instruments totally clog up and wiping and drying doesn’t help...try dipping a soft toothbrush in some rubbing alcohol and brushing off the microphones. Sometimes the salt from sweat will block up the openings. If sound can not enter the hearing instruments then sound can not come out the other end. Make sure and clean wax out of your hearing instruments daily also. If you do produce a lot of sweat and salt then a rechargeable hearing instrument will provide you the best prevention of corrosion issues. These instruments have limited areas in which moisture can penetrate the case. Our new Genesis Hearing Instruments are now WATERPROOF…not just “moisture resistant. If your hearing instrument is not waterproof or has moisture issues then you can purchase different accessories that help to dry out your hearing instrument. There are dehumidifiers, heaters, vacuums, and simple, yet very effective, ‘dri-aid kits’. These kits are little containers that you store your hearing instruments in at night if your aids are rechargeable…even putting them in for a couple of hours will help. They contain crystals that will pull moisture out of your devices to help keep corrosion at a minimum. If you have not had your hearing instruments professionally served in the last couple of months then NOW is the time to do it. Our office also utilizes a new machine called “ReDuX” that actually heats dry air to the point of boiling water to evaporate and dissipate all moisture and oils trapped in the hearing instruments. The machine will actually show us how much moisture has been removed. Everyone tells how their hearing aids “sound like new again.”
A good professional cleaning will remove any oil, moisture, and corrosion that may be building up. That will allow you to spring ahead into this beautiful season! To Hear Better Is To Live Better!!