Find Out How Humidity is Destroying Your Hearing Aids

There are a lot of different things that can ruin the delicate that makes a hearing aid function the way it does, but not many have the impact of water. Hearing aids seem to self-destruct under extreme moisture conditions. Even if you already know that and take care to protect your investment from the shower, pool, or a good face washing, more than likely you are missing the most common cause of water damage in hearing aids: humidity.

Irreversible damage is done by invisible moisture. It's essential to educate yourself about why humidity damages hearing aids.

Understanding Humidity

Even though the word humidity is very common, what does it really mean? PBS defines humidity as water molecules in the air. The relative humidity refers to the ratio of water molecules in the air compared to how many the air can actually hold. The higher the percentage, the wetter everything feels.

Humans cool down their body by sweating so that makes us very sensitive to humidity. When you sweat it evaporates into the air, but that doesn’t happen as quickly when the humidity level is high. Moisture and electronics don't mix well and that includes hearing aids.

Why Electronics Have a Problem with Humidity

Too high or, too low, humidity can influence your hearing aids. When water vapor percentages are high condensation can accumulate on the delicate elements that make electronics function, and low humidity can lead to brittle core materials.

Internal electronics are the reason your hearing aids work. Newer digital hearing aids use a sophisticated audio processing chip to manage noise. It’s what is behind elegant functions like:

• Noise reduction
• Anti-feedback
• Targeted listening programs
• Digital sound streaming

High humidity causes moisture to accumulate in the hearing aids destroying that chip. Batteries get destroyed and you get corrosion of elements inside of the case. It's the equivalent of dropping your hearing aid in a pool of water.

Keeping Humidity Under Control

Water resistant models are currently available. Having this feature doesn’t mean you can go swimming with your hearing aids in your ear, but it does offer some protection against humidity and other weather-related issues like getting caught in an unforeseen rainstorm or even sweat when you exercise.

If you live in an area prone to high humidity, think about using a room or house dehumidifier to reduce water vapor indoors. It's not just your hearing aid that will benefit, there are health benefits, and other electronics in your house will also be protected. Dust mites, mildew, and mold thrive in moist environments so a dehumidifier will improve the quality of breathing as well. However, protecting your hearing aid more completely will require additional thinking. There are a few other things you can and should do.

Look for the dehumidifier made for hearing aids. There is one out there for every budget. Drying kits rely on silica gel crystals to protect the electronics. You put the device in the dehumidifier for a couple of hours to eliminate moisture. Drying your hearing aids as you sleep at night can be done using specially designed storage containers. In a pinch, you could use a bag of uncooked rice to remove moisture.

Don't forget to leave the battery door open when you store your device. By pulling that door open before you put the hearing aid down, you expose the batteries and other elements to the air, allowing any condensation built up to evaporate naturally. Do this all year round, not just in the summer months.

A cool dry place is the ideal for storage. On the table in the sun, in the glove compartment, or in a hot room are examples of where not to store your hearing aids.

Thinking Beyond Humidity

Air vapor is not the only moisture that can damage hearing aids. Take precautions to protect them from other kinds of wet such as:

• Don't touch your hearing aids with hands that are still moist from lotion.
• Leave your hearing aids in a safe place before you go swimming.
• Wear a sweatband when exercising. If you are wearing your hearing aid then it's a good idea in general. Later that sweat will cause problems.
• Check surfaces before you put your hearing aid down. You don’t want to place it in a wet spot left by a glass or coffee cup.

Treat your hearing like the valuable asset that it is. Keep in mind how moisture can damage your hearing aids and make sure to prevent water from getting in them. If your hearing aid already has water damage make an appointment for service with a hearing aid specialist.