Image: Pixabay
Franki Oliver, Audiology Manager at RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) is urging the region’s hearing aid users to take extra care of their devices.
As temperatures across Kent and the South East are set to skyrocket this week—with forecasts predicting a scorching 38°C in some areas and with around 3 million people in the UK relying on hearing aids, the extreme heat, sweat, and high humidity can easily cause the delicate technology to malfunction.
To ensure residents don’t miss out on vital summer conversations with family and friends, Franki Oliver has shared five essential tips to protect hearing aids during the heatwave:
- Keep out of the midday sun: Never leave your hearing aids in direct sunlight, such as on a hot windowsill or in a parked car, as extreme heat can warp or permanently damage the internal components.
- Invest in a drying kit: If your devices get caught in a summer downpour or soaked in sweat, use a specialist hearing aid drying kit. Leaving them in the kit overnight is a safe, effective way to draw out trapped moisture.
- Shield from moisture: Consider using hearing aid protection sleeves or wearing sweat-wicking headbands. These help absorb moisture before it can seep into the hearing aid’s sensitive microphones.
- Lotion first, devices second: Always wait for your suncream, oils, or face sprays to dry completely before putting your hearing aids on. The oils in these products can easily clog the microphone ports and muffle sound.
- Wipe down daily: Sweat leaves behind salt and oil residues that degrade performance over time. Make a habit of wiping your hearing aids down with a clean, dry cloth every single time you take them out.